Educating the Educated
by frightfullytasteful
Summary: Kagome has opened a school in the Feudal Era after the final battle. Upon her return to the past one day, she agrees to organise a birthday party for Rin. When something happens during the party that makes her decide to introduce Sex Ed, what will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Yes hi everybody hahahaha! This story is rather random… the idea just popped into my head one sunny afternoon when I saw this book of mine. The title of the book will not be divulged as of now… because it will be introduced later in the story.

Anyhow, this is just a random fic and therefore do not expect much of a plot, because there really isn't one! I wanted this to be a oneshot actually, but it just seemed too sudden and abrupt that I decided I had to write a couple more chapters to properly introduce my idea. It will be really, really short, maybe 5 chapters or less.

I have another fic that's going on right now and it's really quite complicated, so while I'm still working the kinks out I wrote this. Do enjoy!

And of course, please review too, it would totally make my day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.**

**\(^o^)/**

It has been three years since Naraku's ass was kicked into oblivion and out of existence. Together with his mindless minions.

Well, three years doesn't sound like a long time, but it is the equivalent of 1095 days. Time and tide waits for no man, and life goes on.

A hideous-looking, bulbous, yellow bag was flung onto the grass from inside the well. A string of muttered curses could be heard from the same water source. There was a slight 'woosh' and a grunt followed shortly after. Another string of muttered curses.

"Inuyasha?"

The wind whistled softly as it caressed the soft blossoms flourishing by the edge of the well. They swayed gently, lost in their own dance.

"Um… Inuyasha, are you there? Or nearby?"

The sky remained still and stoic as the clouds went about their daily routine.

"Inuyasha!"

Silence met her cry for the third time. The muttered string of curses seemed to double in length and got a little more... colourful.

"Inuyasha, if you don't get your ass off whatever you're **sit**ting on right now and get here, I will **sit** your sorry ass to the sun **sit**ting right there in the sky and back! Oh and I really feel like **sit**ting down."

It seemed like the world was too caught up in its own rotational axis to bother about her.

"Hn."

"Oh shit."

"Are you trying to play a fool?"

"Uh… You don't happen to be with Inuyasha, do you?"

"Think twice before you speak, miko."

A soft sigh was heard. "Could you um, help me out of my current predicament… please?"

"This Sesshomaru does not engage in such menial tasks."

"Pretty please?"

"… Jaken."

Sounds of running footsteps were heard before a familiar screeching announced the presence of a grouchy, groveling toad.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken is here to attend to your every need, and to abide by your every command! Just speak and I will fulfill your every wish, my lord! Let this lowly Jaken have the honour of –"

"Get that thing out of there."

"Yes Master! Immediately… ACK, IT'S A HUMAN!"

"Kudos to you, Sherlock! Glad that I haven't morphed into something more revolting since the last time I looked into the mirror."

"What audacity, you simpering human! Why, I should –"

"Jaken, I will not repeat myself."

"But Sesshomaru-sama, such filth deserves to –"

"Jaken."

"Straightaway, Sesshomaru-sama! Immediately, right now, instantly…" A wooden staff was thrown into the hole in the ground they called a well.

"Ouch! That hurts, you son of a… female toad, ugh." However hard the staff was, and however painful the collision between the staff and head was, it didn't render the victim stupid apparently. Jaken grunted as his eyes bulged with the extra weight on his staff.

"Lose some weight, fat human!" He squawked as he hoisted the girl out of the well with much difficulty. "I'll have you know that my staff was made from a seven hundred year old tree demon that died in battle with a great river nymph, and if it breaks, the spirit of the tree demon will consume you and rid this world of your unwelcome presence!"

Kagome Higurashi grimaced at the mud smeared all over her clothes and her palms. "Ugh…" she muttered as she stooped down to wipe it off on Jaken's robes.

Said toad jumped back in horror and stared at the area where Kagome's hands last touched. "I am tainted!" He cried as he whipped his staff about in panic.

Kagome, satisfied that her hands were sufficiently clean, picked up her overflowing bag and bowed to Sesshomaru, who was standing a short distance away, staring up at the sky. "Thank you for your help. I sure didn't expect you to turn up, what brings you here this day?"

He kept his head facing the sky, but his golden orbs travelled to her face. "Rin wished to purchase a new kimono."

Kagome's brows furrowed at that statement. "Is there a special occasion coming up?"

His gaze returned to the sky. "Her birthday is approaching."

"Her birthday?"

He sighed so softly that nobody else could have noticed. He finally turned his head to face Kagome fully. "The day I revived her with Tenseiga."

Kagome's deep blue orbs widened ever so slightly before she broke into a radiant smile. "We should organise a party for her! Just imagine how happy she would be!"

Sesshomaru cocked a brow. "A par…ty?"

Nodding, Kagome quickly slipped her slender arms through the straps of her heavy backpack. "Yes, a party! No worries, I've got it all under control! When is her birthday, exactly?"

His brow returned back to its original placing on his beautifully sculpted face. "In four days."

"Perfect! See you then, with Rin too!" Kagome waved goodbye as she left the odd pair by the well and headed towards the village where all her friends were.

"Hn. What an oddity." Sesshomaru turned towards his ever faithful retainer, who was still mortified over his tainted self. "Jaken, you will find out what a 'party' is.

**\(^o^)/**

Kagome pushed aside the cotton curtain blocking the doorway to Kaede's hut. She had brought it back to the feudal era one exceptionally hot summer, when the insects were reproducing at full speed and infiltrating the hut through every hole possible. "Hey Kaede, I'm back, and I've brought you some more tom yum powder," she announced as she plopped her bag to the floor.

"Welcome back, child," the old lady emerged from a small room within the hut. "Ah, the tom yum. Thank ye so much."

"Nah, don't worry about it, there's a lot more where that came from," Kagome winked. Ever since she decided to bring her favourite tom yam ramen back for Inuyasha and the gang to try, they've been hankering for more.

Kaede smiled affectionately at the young woman she had come to see as her granddaughter. "Aye, the head mistress is looking for ye. She has something to speak to ye about regarding the school."

Kagome looked up questioningly. "Regarding the school? I'll be heading over now then, if you're alright with that?"

Kaede nodded and made a shooing gesture with her wrinkled hands. "Go on now, child. Don't keep the lady waiting. She's be getting cranky with her old age."

Kagome grinned and gave Kaede a hug before leaving the hut. She felt so at home in this era despite the obvious fact that she was a modern day girl.

In the three years that had passed since the final battle, she had matured into a full grown woman. At the age of 21, she was tall and slender, with muscled arms and legs from the years of trekking all over feudal Japan by foot. She was busty but not overly so, and her dark brunette tresses fell to a stop just before her hips. Her slim waist was accentuated by the brown belt she wore to complement her casual outfit of denim shorts and a white boyfriend top. Um, the originally white boyfriend top that was now splotched with brown mud.

She had managed to scrape through high school and graduated, but chose not to continue her studies because she didn't see a point in doing so. It wasn't like she was going to stay in the future and get a proper job and raise a family. It just wasn't possible after her experiences in the feudal era. Instead, she came back to set up a school for village children. It was the first school to be built in the vicinity. After so many years of seeing children and women being belittled by men, people succumbing to simple diseases that can easily be combatted and crops being lost due to wrong choice of terrain, she decided that it was time to share her modern knowledge with these people of the past. She didn't want to waste her years of schooling either. She may not be able to make a global impact and change the world, in fact, she probably wouldn't even manage to educate the entire Japan, but one village was still better than nothing. It was a good start. It was like killing two birds with one stone – she could exercise her knowledge and these people would also benefit greatly from it.

Kagome walked a short distance away from Kaede's hut towards a similar-looking, but smaller hut just down the path. That was one of the pros about living in a feudal village. Everybody lived within footsteps of one another, and your neighbour was my neighbour too. She called in softly, announcing her presence, and waited for acknowledgement. The head mistress of the school she had founded was a respectable, middle-aged lady. She was widowed at a young age before she could conceive, which was one of Kagome's reasons for appointing her as the head mistress. In order to remain true to her lost love and to maintain her honour, she chose not to remarry. Just because her chance of becoming a mother was snatched away from her cruelly didn't mean she deserved being deprived of another opportunity. She couldn't be a mother to her own children – but she could be one to others.

"Come in, my dear girl," a hoarse voice called out gently. Kagome couldn't help but smile at the tone the head mistress had used. It didn't fit her persona in school at all.

Dodging the strings of dried lemon skins hung from the doorway, she stepped in and bowed in greeting. "Good afternoon, Shino-sama!" Kagome called out brightly before sitting down on the mat clumsily, quickly making herself at home.

"Kagome, have you been feeding yourself a little too… consistently?" Shino commented, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Kagome snorted and wagged a finger at her, "I am not fat!"

They shared a laugh that served as an icebreaker before settling down and moving on to more serious stuff. "Shino-sama, Kaede mentioned you wanted to speak to me about something regarding the school?"

Shino nodded. "Ah yes, there will be a new student starting next week."

Kagome cocked her head slightly to one side. She made sure to get to know each and every pupil, and all of the villagers' children that she knew of were already registered. There couldn't possibly be a new student, unless… "Did a new family move in?"

Shino shook her head quickly. "No, you are mistaken. No new family moved in recently. The new student would be Sesshomaru-sama's ward, the young Rin."

Kagome was more confused than ever. "Rin? Doesn't she have a personal tutor or something? Sesshomaru can have anything and anybody he wants at a twitch of his tail! Why would he want to enroll her in a tiny village school?"

"Kagome, don't be rude! I don't think that's his tail anyway," Shino reprimanded lightly, referring to the furry mass Sesshomaru always hung over his shoulder. "He did it because Rin wanted him to. Her birthday is coming up after all."

Understanding dawned on Kagome. "As a birthday gift? Of course! Why didn't I think of that? But why would Rin want to study here?"

Shino really doubted Kagome's supposed intelligence sometimes. "Because of Shippo-chan, my child," she said exasperatedly. "Isn't he her best youkai friend?"

A slight blush rose on Kagome's cheeks as she thought about it. "Right, of course," she grinned sheepishly. "Speaking of Rin's birthday, I promised Sesshomaru we were going organise a party for her within 4 days. They'll be dropping by then."

Shino raised her eyebrows. "And he agreed? Wow…"

As the pair launched into an eager discussion about possible plans, neither noticed the yellow pair of bulbous eyes peeking through the window. His green, wart-covered ears were trying very hard to catch every word that was being uttered.

He was determined to find out what a 'party' was for his Sesshomaru-sama.

For his master, he would do anything and sacrifice everything.

**\(^o^)/**

Sesshomaru strode slowly into his vast gardens, intent on finding his young ward Rin, but not in any great hurry though. His face was kept emotionless, which was thoroughly contradicting the state of turmoil his mind was currently in. He stared unseeingly up at the rolling clouds while his feet moved of their own accord.

It was rather funny how things have changed in such a short period of time. Well, short to him, at least. Three years to a youkai is merely but a day; three years to a more powerful youkai is merely but an hour; three years to a taiyoukai like Sesshomaru was merely but a minute. But to a human, three years could very well determine life or death.

Since combining strengths to battle Naraku, relationships between the Inu gang and Sesshomaru's little travelling party have greatly improved. Although the two brothers still actively partake in vicious battles whenever they meet, which often result in not-so-minor injuries, these petty squabbles are now held for entertainment's sake. Naraku was the only powerful opponent each brother has had in a long while, and without the lead actor, there was no show. They have then made do with second best – each other.

The monk and the demon slayer got together, as expected. The slayer had birthed a pair of twins, both whom just turned one. The oddest thing about their little family was however, their assortment of household pets. Other than the fire neko-youkai belonging to Sango, they had taken in four other animals… or youkai actually to be exact. The first youkai to join their budding family was a hardy tortoise youkai which just wandered into their hut one afternoon and decided that it was a suitable home. It had refused to budge from its chosen spot – which was right in the middle of the rectangular space. They had no choice but to convert the spot into a mini pond of sorts. Yes, and inside the hut too. The next to follow was a baby eagle youkai. Sango had stumbled upon the poor thing while she was out practicing with her Hikaikotsu. Kagome's compassionate heart had rubbed off on her over the years and she immediately brought it home. The next two were a pair of oxen. One would laugh at the idea of Miroku bringing home two oxen after a trek to the nearby forest to get some herbs for Kaede, but that was exactly what had happened. Up till this day, he still refused to divulge the story behind the two big youkai. Well, now they've become his best friends. Whenever he's sent out on an herb-scouting mission by Kaede, he brings them along for a walk.

The young kitsune had taken a liking to Rin and vice versa. Well no, not in the way you're thinking of, but in a purely platonic way. The two young children hang out all the time and have sleepovers frequently… odd but true. Well, most of the time Shippo stays over at Sesshomaru's palace, since he obviously doesn't trust Inuyasha to look after his ward. They became best friends and were quite inseparable unless Sesshomaru steps in.

As a result, Kagome, as Shippo's guardian-cum-mother, interacted with Sesshomaru frequently. Most definitely not by choice, but as a necessity. After every sleepover at his palace, he always brings Shippo back personally because, in his own words, "Rin asked me to." Despite his impassive exterior, he always went out of his way to please his daughter, as he had come to see her. Each time they met, Kagome, for some weird reason unknown to men, or just Sesshomaru, always had to make some kind of small talk. Therefore, he now knew quite a lot of things about her life that he didn't need to know, but still knew anyway because of her endless chatter. He had once viewed the wench as incredibly irritating and noisy, but as time passed and they got used to each other's (bad) habits, he had become accustomed to her eccentricities and now view her with amusement. They were almost… how did she describe their relationship again? "Acquaintances, and now almost friends". He still got annoyed at times, but nothing a little growl won't solve. Especially when said growl was aimed at the object of his irritation.

Friends, the word still foreign to his vocabulary and on his tongue.

Then again, he still found humans utterly distasteful. They stank and he realized that their manners were completely lacking. The only reason why he put up with the miko was because he had simply gotten used to her. Hn.

Speaking of the miko, she had mentioned organizing a party for Rin. He still didn't know what a 'party' was. He had sent Jaken out on a mission to discover what it really was but the toad had yet to return. He idly wondered what Jaken was being kept by, the groveling servant lived to please him and he never took longer than necessary to complete the tasks he was assigned.

In the meantime, he had to inform Rin of the journey they had to take to the village in order to participate in this 'party'. He figured she would be pleased. Since the last sleepover three weeks ago, she had been moping and complaining of boredom. He suppressed a sigh. He still didn't understand what possessed him in order to make him take in a ward such as her. However, he would never admit this to anyone though – he had not once regretted his action.

Sesshomaru's nose led him to the rose section of his gardens. Rin's newest favourite flower was the rose. That was because Shippo's favourite flower was also the rose, and that was due to the rose being Kagome's favourite flower. Rin's favourite flower changes on her whims and she usually had new favourites weekly, but since befriending Shippo, her favourite has stayed constant. It might have been a good thing if not for the multiple requests Sesshomaru receives daily to braid roses into his hair, to make a rose necklace for him, to plant roses in his room – what? – and to frame up fallen rose petals. He really was lucky he was born with naturally silver hair, or not his hair would turn white anyway from the stress of raising a child.

He felt rather than heard the small barrel of energy that he quickly caught in his arms before it could knock him down. "Sesshomaru-sama! What brings you here this morning?" The eleven year-old buzzed with excitement. She could count the number of times Sesshomaru's been down to the gardens on one hand, and she didn't even need to use up all five fingers.

"I have something to tell you." He peeled her from his form and set her down on her feet before walking over to a nearby bench. He sat and patted the place beside him. It had been many years since Sesshomaru first saved her, and she had blossomed into a pretty young girl. She no longer spoke in third person because Sesshomaru stopped after they started travelling with the Inu gang. After the final battle, the habit just died off. Rin quickly settled herself down and looked at her father expectantly.

"We have to make a trip to the village in four days."

Her brown orbs widened. "In four days? Why? Am I having a sleepover?" Her eyes lit up at that prospect.

Sesshomaru shot her a glance that said 'NO' loud and clear. "Rin, we have been through this conversation before. You will not be having a sleepover at the village."

If Rin had puppy ears, they would have drooped much like how her shoulders were sagged right at the moment. "Aww but…" She pouted slightly. "Why are we going there then? We just came back a few days ago," she added, remembering the new kimono she picked personally. It was a beautiful pink one, dotted with intricately embroidered sparrows flitting about the piece of silk. She had fallen in love with it at first glance.

"We will be paying a visit to the local festival."

Rin's brows furrowed as she tried to comprehend what Sesshomaru just said. "A local festival?"

He nodded and turned his eyes to her. "Yes, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival then. You may have a sweet bun, if you would like."

Rin clapped her hands together in pure delight. "Sweet buns! I'll go get ready right now!" She stood up hastily, gave a quick bow in farewell and ran off towards the castle, all the while shouting for Jaken. Sesshomaru's eyes softened imperceptibly at the sight, and heaved a slight sigh. Now that Rin was settled, it was time to pamper himself. His eyes slid shut as he slipped into a light meditative state.

**\(^o^)/**

Inuyasha crept silently into the hut, hoping that Kagome still wasn't back. If she found out where he had been, she would totally cut his ba–

"INUYASHA, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

–lls off. "Keh, why do you care, wench?" It was time to put on a little act. "I haven't been anywhere."

"Liar."

He crossed his arms defiantly. "Stop trying to make me seem like I'm guilty, because I'm not! And you can't make me!"

Kagome glared at him. "Your ears twitch when you lie." She watched as they continued to twitch nervously.

"Keh! Now you're the lying one." Twitch twitch. Oh, there it was again. He could feel beads of sweat forming at his temples. One was already rolling down the back of his neck. Why was he so nervous? Maybe because she could sit him to Russia and back.

"… Si–"

"OKAY I'LL CONFESS! Keh, just don't say the S-word!" His puppy ears drooped and he plopped down on the ground. Kagome smirked inwardly at her victory and tapped her foot impatiently against the floor. His amber orbs travelled back to her face, and his lips tightened. "Would you just stop tapping your stupid foot against the damn ground and just sit down?"

"Sure, I'd just si–"

"DON'T SAY IT, WENCH!"

"–settle myself down." She sat down gracefully, crossing her legs under her. She waited in silence.

Inuyasha's mind was working at breakneck speed, trying to conjure up as many believable tales as possible, but he knew nothing was going to work except the truth. He sighed as he resigned himself to fate.

"I have been spending some time with Miroku up on the hills collecting herbs for Kaede." He nodded as though to assure himself more than to affirm his statement.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "And also…?"

Inuyasha tensed. She was just too damn perceptive for her own good. "And also trying to teach the hentai's oxen some tricks."

"And…?"

Ah crap. There was no way he was going to get out of this without being sat. Maybe she'd stop when he was in China. That way he wouldn't have to freeze his ass off in Russia at least. He had heard once from her that Russia only had two seasons – prolonged winters and short summers. He didn't believe he'd have the luck to arrive during one of their short summers. "And getting some advice from Miroku."

Kagome scoffed. What advice can that hentai monk provide that Inuyasha would need? "About?"

He debated for a moment before coming to a decision. There was no other way out of this. He mumbled his answer.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

He muttered some foul words under his breath before raising his voice. "Kissing, okay? Seriously wench, why do you want to know so much anyway!"

Her eyes widened as she caught his words. She couldn't believe her ears. "Kissing?"

"Yes, keh!" He swiveled on his butt and faced the other way with his nose in the air so that she wouldn't see the red blotch spreading across his cheeks.

Kagome burst into laughter. She laughed till her tummy hurt and tears flowed. What in the world? Of all things he should be concerned about, the least expected one was kissing. "B..bu-hahaha… whyyy-hahahahahahahaha?" she managed to choke out.

He kept his back towards her as he mumbled, "I'm meeting Kikyo tonight."

Kagome finally recovered from her sudden outburst and wiped the tears away. "Kikyo? Finally! Tonight would be your first date then! Well, since um, she revived, that is." She wasn't in the least bit bothered by the fact that Inuyasha was courting Kikyo once again. She had gotten over the puppy love she once held for him right before the big battle with Naraku, and had moved on. After making her wish and getting rid of the jewel, Kikyo had come back to life, and had become the resident miko at a neighbouring village. Although she visited her sister Kaede regularly and to say hi to Kagome once in a while, she always avoided Inuyasha. Kagome presumed it was due to her unfamiliarity with the emotions that had suddenly returned to her with her new body, and hence didn't know how to deal with them. She figured it was only a matter of time before they got back together, but she didn't expect it to be three years. But whatever, at least they were finally showing some signs of progress. Kagome was genuinely happy for Inuyasha, although…

"Isn't it a little too early for any kissing to take place? And on your first date too…"

Inuyasha's cheeks reddened even more, but Kagome still couldn't see his deep blush. "Well… you never know what might happen." He broke into a small coughing fit.

Kagome took that as a hint to stop and ceased her teasing, to Inuyasha's great relief. "Alright, good luck then, you'll need it if you want to get that kiss of yours," she winked.

However, she suddenly remembered something just as Inuyasha was getting up. "Oh, I've meaning to ask you something…" He paused and turned to her, the red on his cheeks dissipating.

"Why didn't you tell me it rained? Alright, since you hate the way the future smells, the least you could do was wait by the well or stay nearby till I returned! The well was all muddy and gross, and stepping on the footholds was as good as stepping on a banana skin – it was so slippery! I called for you so many times and guess who turned up in the end? Sesshomaru, your brother! I can't believe you were so inconsiderate…" she ranted on and on and on without a pause.

He didn't even get a chance to correct her mistake of calling Sesshomaru his brother.

"SIT! You have got to be the world's most selfish and arrogant asshole…" she continued after taking a deep breath.

At least his ass was still nice and warm here in Japan.

**\(^o^)/**

Sango remained deep in discussion with Kagome about cake recipes. The feudal era may have lacked modern contraptions such as ovens and egg beaters, but they had some awesome stone furnaces and huge chicken eggs. Kagome had paid a quick visit back home to grab the necessary ingredients required to bake a cake, such as baking soda, yeast, chocolate chips and such. She was determined to make Rin the best tasting cake ever.

Miroku walked into the hut hesitantly. He still wasn't so sure about the idea of a party for Rin… Especially since it coincided with the local Mid-Autumn festival. How would the great Lord Sesshomaru react to the presence of multitudes of humans? He knew about his legendary sense of control, of course, but still, the unexpected could always happen. What if something happened to Rin in the midst of all the excitement and chaos? Sesshomaru definitely would never forgive them.

He knelt beside the two ladies and listened to their conversation for a short while before he finally decided to interject. "Um ladies… Are you really sure about this party thing?"

Kagome turned to him and threw him an incredulous glance. "Of course we are! Did you think we were kidding? After all the planning we've done for past day? Well, I promised Sesshomaru and there's no way I'm going back on that. This is the least I can do in return for his looking after Shippo and sending him back personally to me after every sleepover." She looked to Sango for support and was rewarded with a bright smile and nod from her.

"Kagome's right, Sesshomaru-sama has given us nothing but help since the final battle, and we should do something for him in return. Since Rin obviously means the world to him, her happiness would equal his happiness," Sango added.

Miroku sighed in resignation. There was no way he could win against two determined women. "Okay, okay, what about Rin's gift? What will we be giving her?"

Kagome smiled triumphantly. "I have it all ready back home! Don't worry, she'd just love it to bits," she gushed before turning back to Sango and resuming their discussion. Miroku furrowed his brows and got up to gather the village men. He had to brief them regarding the upcoming birthday party.

"So Sango, the schedule's confirmed right?" Kagome double-checked with her best friend.

Sango nodded. "Yes, we will take Rin to the Mid-Autumn festival where there would be a song and dance performance dedicated to her by the villagers. Following which, we will sing the birthday song," here she paused as she referred to the modern day tradition, "and cut the cake. You will then present her birthday gift."

"Okay! This is so exciting, I can't wait!" Kagome clapped her hands together, anticipating the event already.

**\(^o^)/**

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama!" a squeaky voice resonated throughout the great halls of the Palace of the Moon. Jaken was so preoccupied with shouting his master's name that he didn't see the boot in front of him. He crashed straight into it and fell back on his rump in shock. "Oh Sesshomaru-sama! I am so sorry for taking so long, I had to make sure I had all the right information for you, milord! Please forgive me for dirtying your shoes, this servant deserves death!"

"Jaken."

"Yes Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken will do anything for you! Your wish is my command!" The toad continued licking his master's boot. Sesshomaru mentally rolled his eyes. He really didn't know where the toad got his creativity from, each time he grovels he manages to come up with something new.

"Have you found out what a party is?"

"Yes milord! I have found all the information that you need! I know Sesshomaru-sama wants nothing but the best and of course you deserve nothing less! This Jaken is willing to forsake his own life for the attainment of the information you desire, milord!"

"Jaken. Explain yourself clearly." He resisted the urge to kick the youkai in front of him to the other end of the palace.

"Ah milord, after days of following the priestess intently, I have finally found out what a party is. A party is an event whereby the humans sing and dance," he said, referring to the first part of Sango's summary, "in order to celebrate the killing of a creature called the Cake," he continued. "A gift is then presented to the one who slaughters the creature. As it is organised for Rin, I am afraid that the recipient of the gift would be Rin herself, Sesshomaru-sama."

As Jaken concluded his findings, Sesshomaru was getting more and more puzzled by the minute. What in the world was a Cake, and did the miko really expect him to allow Rin to kill something, regardless of what it is? What was the miko thinking?

He quickly dismissed Jaken and headed back to his study. He would never be able to fathom the miko's thoughts and the way she worked. However, even though he had no idea what horrible creature a Cake was and what it did exactly to deserve its death, the priestess had another thing coming if she truly expected Rin to do the killing.

In four days, he would find out. And if what Jaken said was true… The miko had better be prepared for the horrible creature that he himself was. He might not be a Cake, but he was Lord of the Western Lands, and he'd be damned if he didn't protect his young daughter with his life.

**\(^o^)/**

P/S I have made the necessary changes to this chapter regarding the mooncake slip – thanks to reviewer Sugar0o for her creative suggestions!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everybody thank you so much for your reviews! They totally made my day(s), and each time I received one I couldn't stop smiling. I kept boasting to my friends that I had received another review each time I got a new email alert *giggles*

Well, here's the second installation Enjoy! **Please review too!** Continue making my days heh~

P/S – sI realized I made quite a booboo in the first chapter. Sesshomaru told Rin that she could have a mooncake if she liked and then I wrote that he had no idea what a cake was… it suddenly dawned on me that it was quite contradictory. I have made the necessary changes, and have re-uploaded the first chapter! Thank you for your support, and reviewer Sugar0o for her creative suggestions! :p

P/P/S – I bet none of you knew Jaken had only three fingers! Woohoo major accomplishment /grins to self triumphantly/

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.**

**\(^o^)/**

Rin's birthday dawned bright and clear with no hint of rain at all. The clouds went about their daily routine without disturbances. It seemed even Mother Nature was celebrating the occasion.

Back at the village, a miko rushed about in a panicked manner, calling out orders and ticking away on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard. Not that the locals actually knew what a clipboard was…

"Banner, check," Kagome looked up at the four villagers currently trying to string the words 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' across two trees. "Party hats, check," she turned to Shippo, whose head and tail was adored with four party hats and whose arms were carrying about fifteen more. The tower of hats blocked out the poor kitsune's face as he juggled the hats frantically, trying to prevent any from slipping out of his clawed grasp. She gave him a small smile and turned back to the clipboard. "Cake… Sango!" Her slender legs quickly covered the short distance to Sango's hut and her head peeked in.

Without having to wait for Kagome's next words, Sango quickly gave her a quick thumbs-up sign and raised a hand in a 'wait' gesture. She bent forward to take hold of a tin tray, courtesy of Kagome, and brought it out to where Kagome was waiting.

The cake was beautifully baked. Kagome gasped in awe as Sango brought it out. "Sango! You've really outdone yourself! Are you sure this is the first cake you've baked?" she teased.

Sango smiled as a light blush settled on her cheeks. "Well yes…"

Kagome laughed and blew a kiss towards her best friend. She ticked the 'Cake' checkbox with a flourish and grinned. "Good, another thing down!"

She walked out of the hut while studying her 'to-do' list. Most of the checkboxes were ticked, including the present checkbox. The only blank checkbox left was the 'Birthday Girl + Family' one.

If only phones were already invented, she would totally give them a call right now.

**\(^o^)/**

"Sesshomaru-sama! Can we go now?" Rin grabbed hold of Sesshomaru's sleeve and tugged lightly.

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh. Although it was only the first time she asked that day, he didn't forget the countless times she had asked over the past three days. He had intended to get some work done before leaving for the village, but apparently it wasn't going to happen. He hoped he wasn't as persistent as Rin was when he was younger. Persistent being a nicer choice of word.

"Rin, the day has only begun. The festival begins starts when the sun sets."

The birthday girl continued tugging on his sleeve, although this time without saying anything. After a few more seconds, she finally let go and heaved a huge sigh. When it elicited no response from her adopted father, she heaved yet another. This time, she was rewarded with a similar sigh.

"Rin, we will pay your gardens a visit. Jaken may be feeding the koi." He stood up and took hold of his ward's hand. She cheered loudly before pulling Sesshomaru to the door. Getting out of that stuffy room her father called a study was the first step to getting to go to the village early!

As they headed down numerous long hallways, Sesshomaru spoke as though to himself, but the house's occupants knew better. "Jaken, be at the koi pond by the time we get there." It roughly translated to, "Jaken, you had better get there before we do or I'd kick your sorry ass to the ends of the earth. And no, that doesn't mean you don't have to feed the koi after you drag yourself back." There have been times when he had felt almost guilty at his treatment of the toad, but then again, the keyword was 'almost'. Since the thing always said his wish was his command, he figured he was just fulfilling what the toad himself proclaimed all the time.

He allowed himself to be pulled by Rin. It was quite a good feeling actually. However he couldn't deny the fact that Rin's hand felt so tiny in his own… It was like placing a pea in a bowl. His clawed hand dwarfed her small palm as she held him. He always had to remind himself to be delicate with her because all humans were delicate. Both emotionally and physically. But he found that no matter how many times he needed to remind himself to be cautious, he didn't feel put out in the least bit. He realized he was willing to do anything for her as long as it meant her happiness. Which would explain why they were currently heading to the gardens to feed… _koi_, and why they were paying a visit to the village that evening too.

**\(^o^)/**

The time has come. The sun had set a little over half an hour ago and the Mid-Autumn festival was about to begin. With the launching of the festival, came the start of Rin's birthday party. Her arrival was scheduled just as the festival began, which was in five minutes.

Butterflies took their position in Kagome's stomach as it did a couple of cartwheels. She didn't why she was so nervous or why she was so determined to make the party a success. The only thing that she could think of was the promise she had made to Sesshomaru. Maybe it was because she felt indebted to him, hence she refused to disappoint. Or maybe it was because she saw Rin as her own daughter too and wanted to make her happy to the best of her ability. Either way, the party was happening and whatever crops up halfway, she was just going to have to deal with it.

Sesshomaru looked back over his shoulder at the young girl that was currently balking ten minutes away from the village. She absolutely refused to budge, even with Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon, nudging her from behind. A staff suddenly made itself known, which was followed by an annoying croaking. "Move, you piece of rock they call a human!"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes threateningly at Jaken before walking back towards Rin. "Rin, why are you not moving?"

Rin looked at Sesshomaru with wide eyes. Her fingers were trembling as she held onto Ah-Un's saddle. "Um…"

"Speak louder, Rin."

She fidgeted on the spot for a few moments before finally opening her mouth to speak again. "I'm scared," she whispered. "What if something happens during the festival and Sesshomaru-sama can't save me because there are so many people there? What if I lose Sesshomaru-sama? I don't think I want to go anymo-more," she hiccupped.

Sesshomaru's golden orbs softened subconsciously. He understood Rin's fear. How can anyone truly recover from their own death? Especially as a child too. He moved towards her and placed a large, comforting hand on her head. "Rin, I will not let anything happen to you." He paused for a short while before adding, "I promise."

A grin broke out on her face. "Sesshomaru-sama, you really promise?" She watched as he graced her with a nod before reaching her own small hand up to grasp his larger one. "Let's go then! I can't wait till we see Shippo-chan again! Oh and Kagome-sama too!"

Fifteen minutes later, they broke free of the dense forest they had been travelling through for the past two hours. Upon emerging, they could already feel the excitement in the air. The anticipation was almost tangible, and if one reached out his hand, he could easily grab hold of it. The atmosphere rubbed off on Rin as she bounced happily along, her large doe-like eyes absorbing all the sights surrounding her. It was the first time she had ever been to a large-scale festival such as the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was also her first time attending a human festival.

Red lanterns decorated the numerous branches of the surrounding brush. They glowed different shades of orange and yellow, casting a reddish glow on everything nearby. Images of dragons painted on rice paper in ink were hung from almost every hut. A beautiful painting of a Chinese lady was strung between the village's two biggest trees. People were roaming around chattering loudly and holding handmade paper lanterns. Children were comparing sizes and patterns of their lanterns while adults were passing around traditional goodies. Rin was intoxicated by the richness of the festival and was swaying about, giddy with happiness. Sesshomaru himself took in a deep breath, not because the smells were exceptionally aromatic whatsoever, but because he wanted to inhale the atmosphere into his lungs. It was addictive.

Sesshomaru nudged Rin forward in the direction of where the main cluster of huts were, which was also where Kagome and friends were situated. However, he brushed his hands over his swords as a safety precaution. Although Jaken's report was made three days prior, he had not forgotten a single word of it. He had spent the last three days poring over his books for any mention of creatures called Cakes, but it had been in vain, since his books were mostly historical records, and (cough), a cake was a futuristic invention. Since his meticulous study had not turned up anything of use, he had spent time devising strategies too, to deal with both the creature and the miko, Kagome. He sure wasn't going to let her off easily for tricking him into agreeing to such an abominable idea. In fact, he was getting angry at the mere thought of it. How could she deal such a low blow to Rin? Much as it shamed him to admit it, he had trusted her, and so did Rin. This was further proof of the unreliability of humans.

As Tokijin pulsed at its master's touch, Sesshomaru relaxed, satisfied that his swords were in place and battle-ready. He would actually have a grim smile in place as they approached his half-brother's pack if it were not awfully out of character for him to do so. Oh well, he settled for the only thing that people thought was normal on his face – nothing. They were just a couple of huts away from the village square. What could happen?

Rin skipped gaily into the square before skidding to a halt when her ears were assaulted with loud cries of "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIN!" and "RIN! YOU'RE FINALLY HERE!" Her jaw dropped as she turned a full 360 degrees round, taking it all in. In the midst of the red darkness, a humongous group of people had assembled and were wishing her a happy birthday. A long string of alphabets spelling out 'H-A-P-P-Y-B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y' dangled from two wooden poles thrusted into the ground. It seemed as though the entire village was right here in the tiny village square – she recognized a couple of faces from when they were entering the village through its outskirts. All the villagers were smiling at her, teeth flashing as they continued wishing her a happy birthday over and over again. Rin was shell-shocked.

The villagers broke into song and dance and started circling around her. They were clapping and singing at the top of their voices, their movements creating a lively picture coloured by their bright array of festive clothing. Men's voices echoed, complemented by the high tones of women's soprano voices. The performance was absolutely breathtaking, and Rin was awestruck. Her hands clapped along in tempo subconsciously as she spun round and round, following the villagers.

This went on for a bit until she finally regained her senses when Kagome stepped out from amidst the sea of people holding what seemed to be a black, flat piece of metal. On top of it was a white, circular thing that resembled a Chinese chess piece, just merely fifty times bigger maybe. It was decorated with pink lines of goo which said, 'Happy Birthday Rin! (:', but she couldn't make out what the squiggly lines at the end were. It looked like a line and two dots aligned vertically. Right in the center of the giant chess piece was one tall stick, which appeared to be burning. She wondered if it was a personalized stool.

Sesshomaru watched from behind Rin as she looked towards Kagome who gave her a bright grin. Coming towards her with what was assumed to be a stool, Kagome bent down and held the metal tray in front of Rin. "Rin, happy birthday! Are you surprised?" She looked at her expectantly.

Rin beamed so widely her eyes became two horizontal lines on her round face. "Yes yes! Sesshomaru-sama only told me that we were coming to visit the Mid-Autumn festival, but he didn't tell me that Kagome-sama was going to surprise me!" She wanted to give Kagome a hug as an act of gratitude, but the stool was in the way. "Um Kagome-sama, is that a stool with Rin's name? I can't hug you if it is in front of you like that," she stated innocently.

Kagome giggled at Rin's cute statement. She could never comprehend how young minds worked. "Oh Rin, this isn't a stool! It's your birthday cake!"

Suddenly, Sesshomaru was on high alert. He let out a feral snarl that startled Kagome into dropping the cake onto the floor. She gasped, backing away, as she watched Sesshomaru snap his acid whip in the air. It crackled menacingly, immediately scaring the villagers into a frenzy. Cries and gasps of horror resounded as they scattered, some fleeing the village square while others ran to hide behind the nearby foliage. Several brave men remained, pushing women and children out of harm's way. Rin was roughly pushed behind Sesshomaru as he took on a defensive stance. The Inu gang was left standing in the middle of the square, minus Inuyasha, who hasn't been seen since his date with Kikyo a couple of nights ago.

Sango quickly pulled out two daggers she had hidden between the folds of her kimono, in the event of a sudden youkai attack this festive night. She just hadn't expected the youkai to be Sesshomaru. Miroku armed himself with several of his strongest sutras and Shippo prepared to call upon his fox fire if needed. Kirara had transformed the minute Sesshomaru snarled.

Only Kagome remained weaponless. She stayed where she had backed off earlier on, and shouted at Sesshomaru. "Are you insane? What's your problem? The party was such a huge success until you decided to PMS on us!"

Sesshomaru growled as he advanced towards her. She kept her ground. "Insane? Woman, do not cross the line."

She bristled at the sexist label. "What line? I don't recall this being a part of what we had originally agreed upon during out discussion! You're the one who's crossing the damned line, wherever in the world it's drawn," she growled out. She hadn't put in so much effort into the planning of the party for it to be ruined by a moody dog. Furthermore, the beautiful white cake that Sango had spent hours baking was completely smashed into bits! She was looking forward so much to introducing the modern concoction to Rin and now, there was nothing even left for the birthday girl to wish upon, much less cut. Of course she was angry! She was frickin' pissed off. And there the stupid man was, playing the role of a male chauvinist pig.

"That's because you had taken the liberty to conveniently leave out a crucial part of this 'party'," said man sneered. "You neglected to mention that there was a Cake involved!"

"Oh, and may I ask, Sesshomaru-sama, why would the cake interest you so?" She rebutted.

Sesshomaru bared his fangs in a threatening manner. "I would never let anything happen to my Rin! And I would most definitely not let her commit an act that would possibly scar her for life!"

Kagome sported an incredulous look on her pretty face. "What in the world… How would a cake scar her for life? Are you dense or are you just brawn?"

Although Sesshomaru had no idea what 'brawn' was, he highly doubted it had anything to do with the crustacean that lived in the sea. He decided to just ignore the irrelevant insult. "You were going to make her kill it, what if I brought your kit out on one of my hunts one day? Do you not think he will be scarred? Rin is a mere human girl and I will not allow her to be subjected to such atrocities!"

Kagome was floored. Hang on… Let's backtrack a little. "Sorry, but I think I'm missing out on something here. What are you referring to, again?"

Sesshomaru glared at her. "The creature you term a Cake! The monster you were intending for Rin to murder. The incident that you were about to celebrate upon its commencement." He nearly snarled at the last sentence.

A lightbulb suddenly lit up inside Kagome's head. She held up both hands in defense as she let out a short laugh, which almost had Sesshomaru growling angrily at her. "Relax! This is all a misunderstanding! Whoever told you I was going to do that? That is so farfetched, it's actually funny," she explained. When she noticed Sesshomaru shooting a sharp glance at the toad that was cowering behind his staff, she rolled her eyes. "Well, that explains a lot."

Sesshomaru was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. Apparently he had mistaken a cake for what it was. But he had never made a mistake in his entire life and he had not an idea of how to rectify the current situation. It was all the damned toad's fault. Since he started the mess, he had better clean it up too. "Jaken, explain!" He plucked the toad from behind Ah-Un and dumped him unceremoniously onto the ground.

Jaken's eyes bulged as he shivered under Sesshomaru's intense glare. His staff was trembling against the dirt floor. "Um… I… I…" he mumbled unintelligibly.

This earned him a well-deserved kick from a polished boot. "Speak up, toad!" Sesshomaru commanded.

He nervously wiped away his perspiration with a green, three-fingered hand. "Forgive me Sesshomaru-sama, but I merely repeated whatever the slayer said!" At that, he pointed his staff in Sango's direction. "To be exact, she said, 'There would be a song and dance performance dedicated to her by the villagers. Following which, we will sing the birthday song and cut the cake. Kagome will then present her birthday gift,'" he quoted meticulously.

At this point, Kagome cut in to address Jaken."Oh, and what, pray tell, did you interpret that as? What did you tell Sesshomaru?"

Jaken turned his humongous yellow bulbs to her. His face carried an expression of disgust as his open beak portrayed his disgust. "That's Sesshomaru-sama to you, human filth!"

Sesshomaru decided that his servant had contributed enough trouble to everybody and there wasn't a need to create anymore. He kicked the green creature aside and stepped forward to speak to Kagome. "He said a party is an event whereby the humans sing and dance in order to celebrate the killing of a creature called the Cake. A gift is then presented to the one who slaughters the creature. As it is organised for Rin, it was assumed that she would be the recipient of the gift. Is that not true, miko?" he questioned.

She couldn't keep it in anymore. She just had to let it out. The word's been running through her mind ever since Jaken attempted his explanation. She opened her mouth, and to her audience, blurted, "LOL?"

Although she was met with silence, she felt that saying it once did the word no justice. "LOLOLOLOLOLOL! LOL! LOL! LOLOLOL! LOL! LOLOL! LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow. "Priestess, what is LOL?"

Hearing the modern acronym coming from the great taiyoukai's lips completely cracked Kagome up. After laughing for three solid minutes, she gasped in reply, "LOL means Laugh Out Loud!"

He was not amused. "Cease your antics and explain the mystery of the Cake immediately. This is no laughing matter."

Talk about a killjoy. Kagome sobered up right away and her lips settled into a slight pout. The man sure knew how to spoil the fun. "You're such a killjoy. And no, whatever Jaken told you was entirely nonsensical!"

Jaken sputtered at this. "Hold your tongue if you still wish for it to be attached to your body," swiftly cut in Sesshomaru. He shut up right away.

Kagome continued. "You should have told me you didn't know what a party is, I would have told you right away! A party is simply a gathering held in celebration of an occasion, in this case," she gestured to the confused Rin still hiding behind Sesshomaru, "Rin's birthday. After all, a girl only turns eleven once, right?" She winked. "And there is no way on earth I'm gonna to allow Rin to commit such… such… such an atrocity! For your information, a cake is something _edible_, " she pointed to the white mess on the floor, "which was originally that. It's a special food that is usually eaten on birthdays to celebrate. Something like sweet buns during Mid-Autumn festival. And the gift that Jaken mentioned? It is a birthday gift. A present for the birthday girl. Like the new kimono you gave Rin. I had prepared a birthday present for her too, by the way." She sniffed and walked over to stand right in front of Sesshomaru. "Are you satisfied with my explanation?"

He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a 'Hn' and looked down his perfectly sculpted nose at her. "It is acceptable."

Kagome rolled her eyes once more. Really, the guy didn't have a single humble bone in him. She still had one more question to ask though. "Would you like to try some cake?"

He stared at her like she just grew a second mouth. "Do you have another cake?"

"Well no…" she paused, before stepping past him, hoping he wouldn't turn. He didn't do so immediately, and she seized the chance to bend down and grab some cake. Just as his body swiveled, she ran towards him, and using her momentum, jumped a little and smeared a streak of white, oily, creamy cake onto his cheek and part of his forehead.

She didn't stop to wait for his reaction, but sprinted off towards the rest of the villagers. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he slowly raised a clawed finger to wipe some cream off his face and sniffed it. His eyes threatened to bleed red and a growl slowly built up at the back of his throat. However, a loud giggle made him pause in his anger. He turned to see Rin pointing at him and smiling broadly. "Can I have a cake fight, Sesshomaru-sama? Pretty please?"

He almost groaned aloud.

And just like that, the party resumed.

It wasn't until midnight that the party finally came to an end and everybody started dispersing, men rounding up their families, heading back to their huts to retire for the night. Sango had excused herself from the celebration two hours earlier, saying she needed to put the twins to sleep, while Miroku left an hour prior to check up on his family. Kagome was just intending to round up Shippo and Rin to tuck them into bed when a sobbing Rin suddenly ran up to her, followed by an angry Shippo, and launched herself into her arms. Kagome was taken aback. She wrapped her arms around the little girl and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Rin continued sobbing hysterically into her shoulder, not even noticing Sesshomaru walk up. Kagome gestured for him to wait before returning to rubbing circles on Rin's back. He got her hint and just stood by the side silently. Kagome knew it would take some time before Rin opened up, so she settled herself down comfortably on the ground and situating the upset child on her lap. Shippo knelt beside her, looking at Rin worriedly. "Rin, sweetheart, tell me what's bothering you," she coaxed.

Rin hiccupped as she peeled her face away from Kagome's shoulder. "I-I was playing wi-with the village (hiccup) ch-children just now," she sniffed, and Kagome nodded at her to go on, "when I-I said that I w-want to marry someone from th-this village when I-I grow up," her eyes welled up with more tears and she looked to Shippo. Shippo took over from her and continued explaining. "One of the village boys walked over to Rin and laughed at her. He said that she can continue dreaming because no boy in the right mind would want to marry her." Kagome was very curious as to why. Rin was very pretty for her age. She looked at him expectantly, and he trudged on. "When she asked why, he asked her to look at herself in the water. He hit her chest and said she wasn't a girl because she didn't have the apples that his elder sister had. He turned her around and pushed her bottom, and also said that she had no backside either and was as flat as the ground he was stepping on. That's why no boy would want to marry her. The other village boys laughed at what he said and agreed before pushing her onto the ground and walking off," he finished off angrily, shaking his little furry fist for impact. "I wanted to beat them up and teach them a thing or two with my fox fire but I remembered that you told me that violence wasn't a solution."

Kagome gasped in horror. What audacity! The village boys had just insulted Rin without even knowing what those 'apples' were really called, and had molested her without either of them realizing it! She couldn't believe he had compared Rin to his elder sister. Were they really that ignorant? How could he compare an eleven year-old to what, an eighteen year-old? It was just ridiculous. How could he just touch her like that? Did his parents not teach him what was socially acceptable and what wasn't? It wasn't so much the act that bothered Kagome, it was the principle and the idea of respect for females. It was so rude too, the way he had spoken to Rin.

She heard a low growling behind her and turned to see Sesshomaru's claws dripping luminous green acid that glowed in the darkness. Her deep cobalt orbs met his pinkish-amber ones as she shook her head gently, pleading with him to calm down wordlessly. The pink slowly left his eyes as he took in deep breaths of air to calm himself down, but he didn't cease his growling. The acid was also dripping at a slower rate. Kagome was glad he understood getting angry was not a solution. It wasn't like he could just rip the head off the little boy.

She turned her attention back to the still-crying child. "Rin, don't believe a single word they say. They're boys, and you know that boys are little monsters. Remember what I always tell you? Girls rule and boys drool," she nudged Rin with her shoulder lightly. "So don't think about it anymore alright? Today's your birthday, you've just turned a year older, so you must show how much more mature you've grown since last year. Be brave, Rin, honey," she smiled at the tear-streaked face staring up at her. Using her right hand, Kagome wiped away the rest of the tears that were making their way down to her chin. "Are you tired? Let's get you tucked into bed, okay? Tomorrow's a brand new day and it will be better, I promise."

She hoisted Rin into her arms and stood up. Waving away Sesshomaru's offer of help, she said, "I'll just be bringing them back to my hut, you don't mind if Rin stays the night right? It's late anyway." He nodded and walked off, leading the way. She followed behind quietly, patting Rin's back, with Shippo at her side.

Kagome tucked Shippo and Rin into bed in her own hut, one that Kaede had commissioned for her upon her announcement regarding the establishment of a village school. Inuyasha still wasn't back, who knew what he was up to with Kikyo. Perhaps he finally got lucky. Whoa, if he did, he was one lucky bastard for sure, and on the first date too… Okay, maybe that train of thought wasn't the right direction to head in.

That left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone. She emerged from her little home and saw him waiting for her just outside, staring up at the stars. He was so beautiful. The moonlight rested on him like a satin blanket. He remained unfazed, his eyes trained on the faraway stars, blinking in and out of sight. She sighed in appreciation and he turned, his gaze resting on her. She smiled as she walked up to him, his face remaining expressionless, but his eyes raging. She stopped half an arm's length away from him, and looked up at the stars too. It was a stunning night, the moon at its fullest and most glorious. She hung proudly in the sky, shining down on all other mortal beings. The clouds floated aimlessly past her, but none dared to stop in front of her.

Sesshomaru watched as she admired the moon, and subconsciously, unknown to himself, started admiring her too. He had always respected her compassion for others, and the earlier incident had proved it. She had willingly embraced Rin and comforted her as a mother would. He was sure he wouldn't have acted as a father figure to her kit if anything had happened to him. As she finally lowered her head and started to turn, he tore his gaze away from her and directed it towards the sky, acting as though he had been watching the moon all along. When she addressed him, he brought his gaze back down again to rest on her moonlit face.

"So, I heard Rin's joining the school, huh?"

He paused for a moment before replying, "She wanted to spend more time with your kitsune."

She nodded. "But you could have gotten any tutor you wanted, any youkai one, and she wouldn't have to squeeze with so many other village children."

"I have considered that. But after much thought, I decided that it would do her good to study with her own race. By enrolling her in the school, she gets to play with the kit more and also is able to make more human friends." He explained.

"Oh yes, that's like killing two birds with one stone. You're definitely a strategist."

"I do not require stones to kill birds. In fact, birds are rather tasteless, and they do not satisfy hunger at all."

"No, no, I don't mean it literally! It's just a saying, meaning you can accomplish two objectives with just one action."

"Hn, the person who came up with it was obviously weak. The only animals he could kill were birds and even still, he had to use a stone."

Kagome sighed. There was no arguing with Sesshomaru when he was in one of his self-righteous moods. But hang on, when was he ever not in a self-righteous mood? "So… whatcha gonna do about Rin?"

"State your question clearly, miko."

"Hur, I meant, are you going to lop off the boy's head for insulting Rin like that?"

Sesshomaru crossed his arms over his chest. His strong, solid, well-defined chest. "It would only serve to make things difficult for Rin when she begins schooling. However, I do have an urge to cut off some part of the boy for his insolence."

Kagome chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure, and I think I know which part too," she smirked at him.

He merely raised an eyebrow. "Do you always speak so freely where you come from?"

She pondered over his question for a bit, thinking of a way to put across her answer in a straightforward and factual manner. "Hmm, let's just say, where I come from, taboo may be a foreign concept. And anyway, don't do anything rash. I intend to rectify this situation starting tomorrow," she told him.

"This Sesshomaru does not do anything rash, unlike humans, who often do things they regret in the heat of the moment," he stated. "How do you intend to do so?"

"Well… there's a little something called Sex Education where I come from…"

**\(^o^)/**

Alright, this concludes Chapter 2! Hopefully it was up to your expectations… It isn't as funny as the first chapter because I just couldn't fit in much humour :/ And honestly, the Kikyo thing was just to get Inuyasha out of the story. I didn't want a fight to break out between the two brothers because that isn't the point, and if I were to not write a fight if they happened to meet (which would be pretty often considering how frequent the meetings between Kagome and Sesshomaru are), it would just be out of character, and I didn't want a case of that happening.

Hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a review to make my day!

Love you guys loads.


	3. Chapter 3

It is I, and I am back once again.

Indeed, even I, myself, am surprised at the rate at which I'm churning these chapters out. After all, I'm one to take several months to come up with a chapter. *thinks hard* I think it's because this story kinda has no plot so I don't have to think about it so much hahahaha.

Thanks for your reviews, please continue reviewing! I love reading your reviews :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.**

**\(^o^)/**

Kagome grunted as she dug into various cardboard boxes of books. It was here somewhere, that she knew for sure, but she just didn't know where exactly in somewhere it was. She distinctly remembered putting it into one of these boxes, but the problem with them was that they all looked the same. And being the lazy ass she was, she didn't bother labeling the boxes, other than scribbling a word that was rather redundant – "Books". Sometimes she really wished she could give herself a good punch. Of course that was possible, but alright, let's face it. Nobody would actually punch himself/herself even if they really wanted to, right? Right? Yup, exactly. That's why she was only wishing really hard.

After the tremendously awkward conversation about Sex Education with Sesshomaru two nights prior, right after the Mid-Autumn festival, she had been spending a lot of time thinking about it. Granted they didn't really talk much about the subject because she had cut it short after two very uncomfortable questions, saying that she was too tired to think, but telling Sesshomaru that she was going to implement it meant going back on her word was not an option. That was the most annoying thing about Sesshomaru. Once you told him something that piqued his interest, he was never going to let you off until you explain it to him or carry out your promise.

"Irritating bastard," she muttered to herself. She raised a hand to wipe the accumulated perspiration off her brow. "I just know it's here! Accio 'Ready or Not'!" Nothing happened. She sat back on the floor and heaved a sigh.

The book that she was looking for, 'Ready or Not', was like a dummy's guide to love, sex and relationships for pre-pubescent children. It encompassed everything, from periods to body development and relationships with people of the opposite sex (and questions regarding relationships with people of the same sex). It was a Christmas gift from her mother when she turned eleven, her method of conducting part I of the 'sex chat'. It had caused a lot of unnecessary embarrassment that year.

Even so, Kagome had read it, and it was truly enriching. It stated lots of supposedly sensitive or taboo stuff in a matter-of-fact way, and was full of useful information. She figured that was the perfect textbook for the village children, and guide for her syllabus. It would definitely be easier to take it one chapter at a time than to jump straight into the question: 'Where do babies come from?'

But actually, given a choice, Kagome would much rather just get straight to the point and answer the question. Because after informing the ever-protective-of-his-ward Sesshomaru about the existence of such a subject in modern day school, he had requested for her to first go through the syllabus with him before she introduced it to her students, one of whom was going to be Rin. Scratch the word request, how about 'glared at her and stated that she was to do so unless he wasn't too fond of her head'. Honestly, the guy couldn't have had any friends other than her because he simply lacked people skills. In fact, right here right now, 500 years into the future, she was contemplating signing a contract with him to write off their once-existent near-friendship.

How was she going to go through the syllabus with him? Going through such stuff with kids was already bad enough with all their questions, she couldn't imagine the kind of queries a grown taiyoukai could raise. Ugh, Kagome shuddered, she shouldn't think about that now. Anyhow, the book would be a tremendous help, that is, if she could find it.

She knelt in front of her fifth box and randomly rummaged through it without much effort. She was on the verge of giving up and continuing later in the afternoon. Suddenly, something pink caught her eye. She brushed her hair away from her face and quickly took hold of it before pulling it out. Reading the title, she let out a shout of victory. The stupid book had finally surfaced! Now she could go for lunch at last. She was famished. Food was definitely more important than Sesshomaru.

**\(^o^)/**

"Hehe… um, I can't believe we're discussing this over lunch," Kagome tittered as she fiddled with her chopsticks.

"Why is it so unbelievable? I merely want to repay you for the birthday gathering you kindly organised for Rin," Sesshomaru looked over at Kagome calmly.

They were currently dining in the Sesshomaru's personal hall of his grand palace. It was a huge room that was split into three sub-rooms, one room being Rin's playroom, one being the common room for Sesshomaru to spend time with Rin, and the last being a cozy dining room. They were in the dining room, with Rin playing in her playroom with Shippo.

The room was beautifully decorated, in line with the palace's main colours of gold and white. The occasional magenta dotted the room in the form of furniture or an ornament, and exquisite hand-painted murals adorned the high ceilings. Although electricity and chandeliers were not yet invented, countless white candles were spread out around the room, unlit, awaiting nightfall. Their table was a quaint little square one covered by an intricately embroidered tablecloth depicting a summer scene, with high-backed gilded chairs to match. Kagome and Sesshomaru each occupied one, facing each other. On the table was a six-course lunch spread, courtesy of the host.

Upon Kagome's return to the feudal era, she had been greeted by Jaken and Ah-Un, who had been sent out by Sesshomaru to retrieve her, much to the toad's dismay. He only gave her enough time to inform Kaede of her return and her soon-to-be meeting with Sesshomaru and to fetch Shippo before whisking them off on the two-headed dragon. They had travelled for the better part of an hour before landing on the ground once more. Sesshomaru was there to greet them both at the gate with Rin. That was an hour ago.

Right now, they were supposed to be enjoying a leisurely meal, but Kagome couldn't really say she was enjoying it. Sesshomaru just had to broach the topic that she had wanted to avoid. The dude really… was a guy. No sixth sense whatsoever, no tact, no nothing… ARGH. Except a really, really, really hot body and an equally orgasmic voice to boot.

Kagome lifted some rice into her mouth and chewed before replying. She had to tread very carefully or not it might trigger other even more mortifying topics. "Well, firstly I would never have imagined us to be having lunch together in such a civil manner," she said slowly. "After all, we used to be archenemies."

Sesshomaru raised a brow at that. "We were never archenemies; my archenemy was my younger half-brother."

Kagome sighed. "Alright, yes, that. And also because this is a rather," she paused to think of a suitable adjective, "sensitive, and might I say, personal, topic," she finished lamely. Sesshomaru would never accept that excuse for a reason.

And indeed. "It is not you, miko, that I am concerned about. It is Rin, therefore it would not concern your personal issues. I do not understand your embarrassment when you have said so yourself that taboo does not exist in your time. Why do you insist on maintaining this modest appearance? There is no need for such a façade." Sesshomaru quickly dismissed her excuses with a glance as he continued cutting up his rare steak neatly.

There really was no getting out of this. Why couldn't Sesshomaru be more like Inuyasha? A little more dense maybe. Weren't they half-brothers after all?

"... Don't you think this is a little awkward? Don't you feel awkward at all, talking about such stuff with a female?" Kagome tried one last time.

She should have expected it.

"No. There is no need for such embarrassment. It is a normal occurrence in life and is necessary for reproduction and the continuation of a family line."

She tried to pick up some pork, but the dish was situated too far from her. Sesshomaru noticed, and placed some pork strips in her bowl without her asking. She was surprised. Through their regular interaction due to both their adopted children, she had known that he was a gentleman, but to actually receive it firsthand was something new. He was usually just polite towards her.

"Thank you. Alright, I'd just have to get used to it I suppose. How do you want me to do this?" She nibbled at a strip.

He appeared to think for a short while, his eyes focused on the slab of meat in front of him, his hands still working away. He finally looked up at Kagome, and announced his decision. "You will stay overnight, and we will go through the subject over the duration of today and tomorrow. It would also serve as a sleepover for both Rin and your kit."

Kagome toyed with that idea. Shippo had been bugging her a lot recently for another sleepover, and she knew that it was going to take place either this coming week or the next. She had nothing else to do back at the village, the school was in Shino's good hands, and besides, it was only for one night. This way, she wouldn't have to trouble Sesshomaru to bring Shippo back to the village personally. The journey, despite being only a little over an hour long, still took up time, and he had to make a two-way trip each time too. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to get it over and done with immediately. Her yellow bag was still with her, and so was the 'textbook'.

Although it wasn't really a suggestion but more of a command, she still replied him. "It sounds acceptable, okay then," she nodded. "But could I maybe have some steak too tonight?" She grinned slightly.

Sesshomaru leveled a stare at her. "Rare?"

"Heh, you're actually quite funny, Sesshomaru."

"Indeed. Now finish your meal so we may proceed with our plans."

"You make it sound like we're on a holiday…"

"Does a 'holiday' have anything to do with the human anatomy or the concept of intercourse?"

"What? No!"

"Then eat."

"That's all you men think about! Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, and more sex!"

Sesshomaru threw her a nasty glare. "Woman, you test my pa –"

"Mmm, the pork is really good."

**\(^o^)/**

Sesshomaru slid open a large, heavy-looking wooden door, and stood aside to let Kagome enter. "Wow, this is humongous! Gargantuan, monstrous, really, really, extra-large," Kagome rambled on in wonder as she took baby steps into his private library. It was truly an amazing room. It housed shelves upon shelves of books, with tall glass windows about four times of Kagome's height, stretching from the incredibly high ceiling to Kagome's waist level. Just picture the library in Beauty and the Beast that the Beast gave Belle, and there you have it. In fact, an obvious parallel can be drawn between the Disney fable and the current enfolding of events. It was easy to picture Sesshomaru as the beast, and Kagome as Belle. They would fall into their roles perfectly.

Sesshomaru's chest swelled slightly with pride. Despite the numerous times her kit had stayed over at his home, she had never once visited, because he always brought the kit back to her. Perhaps the next time he should make her come all the way to fetch her kit back home herself. It felt nice to have someone compliment his home sincerely for once, without coveting his wealth or title. But ah, these feelings he attributed to Kagome being the mother of his daughter's best friend. Hang on, since when did he have feelings? Hn, what an absurdity!

He slid the door back in place effortlessly and glided towards the young woman who was almost running around in circles as she tried to absorb as many book titles as possible, or at least those within her reach. Which actually isn't a lot seeing as how the shelves stretched up three floors, connected by three sets of black spiral staircases; one on either end and one in the center. All of these were housed within a single room. It made Kagome wonder if he actually had his own ballroom… for when he was feeling bored and felt like doing some salsa alone. She started picturing him shaking his firm ass around with his hair flying about as he spun circles gracefully. His feet in dress shoes, pointed toe down. His arms held out, straight, moving with a flourish. His eyes closed, basking in the moment. But the room seemed too big for him alone… She pictured a beautiful lady entering the room, her dark brunette tresses flowing down her bare back. The white cheongsam she wore clung to her slender curves, maintaining her modesty with a mandarin collar but dipping dangerously low behind towards the slight swell that was her rump. The dress was long; it reached her ankles, but two strategic slits on either side revealed long creamy legs up till her upper thighs, inches away from where her womanhood lay. She was looking down as she took slow, seductive steps towards the lone taiyoukai dancing in the middle of the library, keeping her face hidden. When she reached him, her arms landed softly on his shoulders, fingers trailing down his arms to interlace with his fingers. Long fingers that could probably do wonders to her. As they interlocked fingers, he opened his golden orbs to gift the lady with a piercing gaze. She tiptoed on her high heels, face still lowered as she neared his lips. His gaze visibly softened, and his eyelids drooped of their own accord, half-lidding his eyes as he watched her plump lips come nearer, nearer to his own… And when she finally raised her head to meet his lustful gaze with her own deep blue orbs, her lips met his in a burning, yearning –

Whoa! What the hell? That woman whom she pictured had the same brunette tresses as her, the same deep blue orbs, the same face… shit she had just imagined herself kissing him. And wasn't her original train of thought based in his ballroom? Since when did the room become the library? She shook her head furiously, a deep blush quickly spreading across her face. She kept her gaze trained on the books in front of her, trying to clear her naughty thoughts. Her efforts went down the drain however, when a deep baritone interrupted none too kindly.

"Miko, do not implode in my library." Sesshomaru leaned lazily against the shelf beside the one Kagome was glaring at. "If need be, go find the healer."

Kagome slowly turned to him, her bubble popped. "I am not going to implode in your library, Sesshomaru," a vein throbbed, "so don't worry about me." The red dissipated in the blink of an eye, as though it never appeared. She walked off with Sesshomaru trailing behind her towards the gilded table situated right smack in the middle of the room. She supposed it was for whoever found a good book to enjoy. She took a seat and waited for Sesshomaru to seat himself opposite her before sighing.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her expectantly.

She pulled out the chair next to her and patted the seat. "How do you expect me to teach you when you're sitting opposite me? I only have one book you know, so we would have to share."

He sniffed, asking, "You did not think to bring another one for me?"

She scoffed. "Well I'm not rich, this book cost my mom $20! There's no way I'm going to get you one of these, knowing how you'd most likely shred it to pieces with your claws in a fit of anger."

He maintained his blank mask as she patted the seat next to her twice more. "As the Lord of the house, I need not move."

Kagome's eye twitched. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Kagome stood up angrily, muttering under her breath about self-righteous, stuck-up dogs. She picked up her yellow bag and stomped over to his side, dragging the chair beside him out noisily before sitting roughly and dropping her bag with a loud thud. Sesshomaru held back a grimace. "Woman, did your mother not teach you manners?"

"Save that for yourself, Mr. I-Don't-Wanna-Move-My-Lazy-Ass-Because-It's-Not-Big-Enough."

He growled slightly.

Kagome looked up at the ceiling, before asking out loud, "Why me?" She stared for a minute more. Resigning herself to her fate, she finally addressed Sesshomaru. "Let's begin, shall we? How do you want me to do this?"

He examined his claws carefully, replying, "You can teach me like you would Rin."

She stared at him incredulously, him oblivious. "I can't do that!"

"Why not?" He was very pleased with the clean state his claws were in.

Kagome pursed her lips. There was actually no valid reason behind her statement… "Because you probably already know everything I'm going to be teaching Rin!"

He finally returned her look. "Indeed, I probably do. Treat me as you would Rin then, I am Rin. Imagine I am as ignorant as her."

She really pitied herself. "I guess I could try." She bent down to her yellow bag and pulled out her 'textbook'. There was a picture of a girl on the front page. Sesshomaru leaned over to check it out. When she was retrieving white paper and stationery from her backpack, he picked it up and studied the cover. Without opening it, he asked, "Is the book about this woman?"

"Nope, it's not about her," answered Kagome without looking up. She was still digging around for her pencil case.

Sesshomaru's brows furrowed. "Will her naked body be in the book?" He asked more directly.

This certainly caught Kagome's attention. "No! Of course not!" Her fingers touched something furry, and she quickly pulled her zebra-printed pencil case out. "Gotcha!"

He placed the book back down. "Why is her face on the front of the book? Why does she look so odd?" He scrutinized the cover girl from a distance.

She giggled as she explained, "It's just a cover. It's a guide for girls, so naturally the person on the cover would be a girl, right? And anyway, that's because she's European, not Japanese. The author herself is from the United Kingdom, Tina Radziszewicz, hmm."

"European? United Kingdom? Is it bigger than the Western Lands?" Sesshomaru inquired, not liking the way the girl said it, as though she was envious of Europeans.

Kagome waved a hand. "Ah well, that's a subject for another day! Shall we just get this over and done with, so I can answer all your other questions? By the time I'm done with this, you probably would have too many questions regarding this to remember your current ones anyway."

She took his inquisitive stare as a positive gesture to continue. "Alright, we shall follow the contents of the book." She flipped to the content page, Sesshomaru watching intently. "Chapter One: Puberty. Do you know what puberty is, Sesshomaru?"

At the slight shake of his head, she continued, "To be technical, it is the process through which children reach sexual maturity and become capable of making babies. It is controlled by these things called hormones in our bodies, and will affect us both physically and mentally." She pointed out the paragraph in the book. He nodded slowly as he processed the information. Coming across an unfamiliar word, he questioned, "What is a period?"

Kagome snickered at the modern term coming from the feudal taiyoukai's mouth. "I'll get to that, hang on a moment." She flipped the page and immediately Sesshomaru's head drew closer to the book. His attention was captured by a cartoon drawing of a naked young girl before puberty, and a naked woman after puberty. "Miko, is this how you look like naked?"

In her embarrassment, she gave Sesshomaru a light punch to the arm closer to her without thinking. Snatching the book away from his grasp, she retorted, "It's none of your business how I look like naked! This is just a rough drawing of how all women look like naked! Shouldn't you know?"

His gaze had moved to the spot where she had punched him. "Hn, I do not remember. I have not lain with a woman for centuries."

Kagome was shocked. "Wha – why? One would think there'd be plenty of women lying naked in your bed just waiting to pounce on you every night. Like an orgy! Oh eww… Should not have said that…" She made a face as the disgusting image popped into her head uninvited.

She wasn't expecting a reply other than his signature sound, so she was pleasantly surprised when he graced her with an answer. "Since my sister admonished me for toying with the feelings of females, I stopped sleeping with them. I have not found anyone suitable to be my mate as of yet, hence the hiatus." He casted a lingering glance towards her, but she didn't notice.

"You have a sister? Why haven't I met her? Can I?" Her eyes lit up.

He looked away. "She has passed on."

Her eyes darkened immediately. "Oh no, I apologise sincerely for my ignorance," she said softly. Laying a palm against the same arm she punched, she drew his eyes back to her. She gave him a brilliant smile, and asked, "Shall we continue?"

His lips twitched before giving his signature sound. "Hn." She didn't catch the soft look of contemplation that had settled on his face as he stared at the spot her palm had rested on.

She had moved the book back between them. Tugging on his sleeve to regain his focus on the book, she pointed to the cartoon drawing of the naked woman. "Alright, after puberty, a woman's body will become curvier. Breasts will develop and hair will grow around the underarm and the genital area. Got that?" She didn't wait for a reply as she flipped the page to reveal another cartoon drawing. Sesshomaru must have done something right in his past centuries, because it was one of the female genitalia. Of course, he didn't even bother replying her as he studied the photo.

"Before you ask anything, this is just a drawing, and it varies from woman to woman so don't expect the next few women you bed to have genitals that look like this," Kagome stated.

He was so engrossed that he merely grunted something unintelligible. "Men," muttered Kagome. She cleared her throat and jiggled the book a little to confuse Sesshomaru. "Alright, lesson time. Girls have three holes in this area, as compared to boys. One being the pee-hole, one being the asshole, and the last being the vagina."

Sesshomaru frowned. "The book says they are called urethra, anus and vagina entrance," he corrected. Kagome blushed.

"Don't be an asshole!"

"I believe I am hardly an anus."

Kagome huffed and made to flip the page, but a clawed hand stopped her. He pulled the book slightly towards himself, and seemed to be reading intently. Curious as a cat, Kagome tried to see what he was reading. He swatted her face away with his other hand absently and flipped the page the minute he was done. His eyes held a sly twinkle in them that Kagome didn't like at all. She shuddered. "Cold, miko?" He almost purred.

What the… She shook her head quickly. Looking back at the book, something caught her eye. "A-ha! This is especially important for all men." She shoved the book into his nose, and pointed out a paragraph titled 'Hymen'. "Since all you male chauvinist pigs think that hymens are an indication of a female's virginity, here's a piece of information which proves all of you wrong!"

Sesshomaru's eyes quickly scanned it, both eyebrows raising in surprise. "Not all girls are born with a barrier?"

Kagome grinned victoriously. "Nope!"

He continued reading. "The barriers of most girls are usually broken by the time they have intercourse for the first time?"

She nodded vigorously. "As the book says!"

Sesshomaru finished reading. He looked at her with a smirk, and threw her a supposedly innocent question. "You're a virgin until the first time you have sex?"

Kagome hummed a happy tune. "That's right!"

"Are you a virgin?"

She sputtered. Sesshomaru smirked. "Y-yes duh! Okay enough of your endless questions, let's move on."

**\(^o^)/**

Kagome heaved a sigh as she closed the book and stood up from the table. After spending a grueling, embarrassing, four hours with Sesshomaru, it was finally dinnertime, and boy was she hungry. Teaching that overgrown puppy was an immensely tiring job and it took a lot out of her not to bolt out of that room and lock him inside, keeping him away from her forever and ever and ever. She had half a mind to just hand the school over to Shino and go up the mountains to become a full-fledged miko.

She stretched, moaning in ecstasy as her joints popped. She covered her mouth as a yawn overcame her. Suddenly, she froze. She was willing to bet her life that she heard someone purr. Looking around anxiously, nothing abnormal met her searching orbs… except a stoic taiyoukai waiting by the sliding door. Narrowing her eyes, she thought about it. Could it have been him who had purred? Nah, that wasn't possible. The purr had been right beside her ear, and he was there leaning by the door emotionlessly. Even youkai couldn't move that fast. She wasn't so sure about taiyoukai though... Her stomach grumbled. Ah well, food was definitely more important than Sesshomaru. She strode past him with her chin held high and back ramrod straight, without so much as a glance or an acknowledgement of his presence. Too bad for her, because she missed the evil grin that spread on Sesshomaru's face as she stalked out, his gaze trained on her pert chest. Mmm…

He quickly slid the door shut and caught up with the female, his face still bearing the stupid smile, albeit a little smaller now. The only reason he allowed the smile to show on his face was because he was walking behind the only person in the entire hallway, and there was no one else around. Speaking of the person he was walking behind, he sensed the air move before she whipped around, giving him ample time to wipe the grin off his face and throw up the blank mask. "Yes, priestess? Do you need something?" he drawled.

She looked down at her toes for a moment before meeting his bored gaze with a sheepish expression. "Uh, I'm lost, heh," she coughed. "Why don't you lead the way instead?" She smiled sweetly at him and he felt his heart skip a beat. And begin to thaw.

Without a word, he walked past her and she happily followed, skipping along behind him, singing to herself.

They finished dinner rather quickly. Kagome had enjoyed her steak a little too much and was feeling rather bloated. As she walked slowly beside Sesshomaru back towards the library to continue their lesson, she rubbed her stomach, thinking of what she could do to get rid of the horrible bloated feeling.

She halted when she had a sudden light-bulb moment. "Hey Sesshomaru," she called out. He paused in his steps, turning slightly to give her a questioning look. "Do you dance?" She grinned.

Damn, he knew she was up to something the minute she had addressed him so nicely. "I do," he said, immediately regretting his positive reply. She did a little dance at his reply, and clapped her hands together in glee. Running forward she grabbed him arm and pulled him along the hallway. "Come quick! Let's get the party started!"

"Woman – "

"Oh come on Sesshomaru, I'm so full I can't sit down or I'll just get a heart attack and die even before I can complete the lesson," she pouted, not stopping in her tracks. "You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

"Most definitely not, miko," he replied, too low for human ears to hear. "I still have yet to teach you my lesson." It was for his ears and his ears alone.

"Sorry? Did you say something?" She spared him a glance as she continued her fast pace towards the library.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened the tiniest bit. "I did not say anything." How did she even hear anything? That was close.

Kagome came to a stop outside the library doors. She tugged hard on his sleeves. "Some help?"

He grunted and pushed it open with three fingers. Kagome frowned and gave him a light smack to his bicep. "Show-off."

Sesshomaru smirked and growled lowly in response. She wasn't sure she had heard right. Turning to him, she was met with a bored expression. "Miko, do you intend for me to carry you in?" She blushed at his smart remark. Rolling her eyes at him, she shoved her way past him. However, she forgot to let go of his arm and ended up dragging him in instead. Upon realizing what she did, she dropped his arm like a hot brick.

"Jaken! Get me some wine now!" She yelled into the hallway. Leaning her entire weight on the heavy wooden door, she managed to close it after a few minutes of struggling. Sighing, she turned to catch her breath when she found herself pinned to the door between Sesshomaru's arms. The breath that she had wanted to catch was stuck in her throat. Her heart suddenly sped up, way too fast for her liking. She was sure that it wasn't healthy at all. She was going to die of a heart attack.

"S-Sesshom-maru?" She stammered, unable to tear her gaze away from the seemingly sparkling golden orbs that held her own deep cerulean blue ones. He purred at her lowly.

She knew it! It was him who had growled lowly at the door. It was also him who had purred just now in the library before they had left for dinner. Wow, she didn't know he could move that fast. She wondered how fast he could go in bed… ACK WHERE WAS JAKEN WHEN YOU NEEDED HIM? She needed the wine!

A hot blush had spread like wildfire over her cheeks as she continued staring up at him with those doe-like eyes of hers. She would be the death of him, honestly. He watched her mouth fall slightly open, letting out smoldering puffs of hot air as she started panting unknowingly. Her tongue darted out, wetting those pink, luscious lips of hers that were already open for him. His originally clear eyes started to glaze over as he fell victim to her feminine charms. "Kagome," he whispered, drawing out the last syllable, feeling her name roll over his tongue.

Kagome shivered. It was the first time he had ever called her by her name. And it sounded so… damn… good. "C-could you say that again? Please?" She asked meekly, astonished at her audacity.

Sesshomaru merely chuckled as he leaned in closer to her ear. "Ka… go… me." His warm breath caressed her ear and she couldn't help the second shiver that ran up her spine. He was about to return to his original position when he turned and drew his tongue inside the shell of her ear in the spur of the moment. He grinned with male pride as Kagome jumped and let out a surprised yelp, causing her ear to bump against Sesshomaru's nose. "Do you like it? When I do this?" He licked her once more, this time going as far as to nibble her earlobe.

She was almost afraid to turn her head. Sesshomaru had never behaved like that before in front of her, much less do such things to her! What had gotten into him? Maybe there had been some bad bacteria lurking in his raw slab of beef, and upon ingesting them, they did something to his brain. Oh come on, who was she kidding? Perhaps he had been possessed? No, if he had been, she would have sensed it right away. What was up with him then? Wasn't he a couple of centuries old? Shouldn't his hormones have stopped raging a long, long time ago?

She drew a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the naughty inuyoukai wasn't helping. He had moved down to her neck, and was now placing feather-light kisses all over its length, nibbling and sucking occasionally. Oh all the hickeys he was going to leave… Oddly enough, she didn't mind. She even felt like smiling idiotically at the thought.

Argh! She shook her head furiously, trying to get rid of the traitorous images that were flitting through her mind. Seriously, where was Jaken?

She needed to get him to stop immediately, or they would soon be doing something they would both regret. She realized her arms were free, so she quickly placed them on his muscular ones, gently caressing. She moved them up to his shoulders, cupping his face when he finally pulled back from her neck. She stroked his markings almost lovingly, smiling when he leaned into her palm. "Oh Sesshomaru, let's dance." She trailed her palms back to his shoulders, and just like in her daydream, down his arms to interlace her fingers with his.

Walking forward, she forced him backwards towards the center of the massive room, keeping their fingers together. He maintained his glazed-over look as he continued staring deep into her soul. She felt her heart beat distinctly; her body throbbing with each pulse. She had never felt so alive. What was this feeling that had overcome her?

When they reached their destination, she let go of his fingers, eliciting a soft growl from him, which she calmed when she guided his arms to her slender waist. She was wearing a white tube top that she had been intending to wear to sleep, coupled with a pair of low-rise acid-washed jeans. She figured that it was relatively safe to wear something so casual since she was in the safety of Sesshomaru's palace. Who knew the one person that she thought would protect her was the one thing that posed the greatest danger? When he lowered his hands to her waist, she shivered involuntarily, causing him to pull her in closer. The sudden movement in turn made her tube top ride up, such that his palms were resting against her bare skin.

The contact was electrifying. She still couldn't look anywhere else other than his hooded eyes. She was sure hers mirrored his. Bringing her arms up to sling them loosely around his neck, she sighed in content before finally managing to close her eyes, laying her head against his hard chest softly. He began a low thrumming, which vibrated throughout his body, tickling Kagome's cheek. She giggled as she tightened her arms around his neck. "Stop that, it tickles." The thrumming slowed down right away, settling into a less noticeable hum.

Sesshomaru was in seventh heaven. The woman felt so right in his arms, her head fit just beneath his chin, she smelled lovely, and he was… so happy. The last time he had felt this euphoria was when his father and sister were still alive. The thrumming in his chest had started up on its own, to soothe and relax the beautiful female in his arms. He had been eyeing her for the past year. Why else would he volunteer to send her kit back to her personally after each sleepover, if not just for the chance to see and interact with her?

He had never met a female stronger than her, more beautiful than her, sweeter smelling than her, more loving than her, more compassionate than her, more perfect than her. The only reason was because nothing else can beat perfection itself. She was the epitome of perfection. And he loved the way she was. He loved her presence in his palace. He loved the way she cuddled Rin as though she was her own. He might even go as far as to say he loved her. He would do anything to make her happy.

So she wanted to dance, didn't she? His feet started moving slowly, his large palms coaxing her gently to follow him. She didn't move her head from his chest as she moved along with him. Although gramophones and CD players didn't exist back in the feudal era, Sesshomaru's low thrumming was enough music for her.

They swayed in sync, moving from the center of the library towards the large almost floor-to-ceiling windows, where they continued dancing leisurely. He lowered his head onto hers and buried his nose in her hair, taking in as much of her sweet scent as he could, gladly intoxicating himself. He craved her like a chain smoker would crave a cigarette.

She was his heroine, his addiction.

**\(^o^)/**

And yes, this concludes… Chapter 3! Heh, thought I was gonna say that this wraps up the story eh?

I rated it M for a reason :p and the best part has yet to come. Soon though! Next chapter, and probably the end :'(

Ah well! **PLEASE REVIEW.**

I'm really quite excited about this story although it has no plot whatsoever, *grins*

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

Don't go away though~ Stay close!

xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

Please review! Love them to bits :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.**

**\(^o^)/**

The world seemed to have stopped its spinning. Time seemed to have halted in its relentless ticking, and the moonlight poured generously upon them. It was only him, and her. Her in his arms, his arms around her. There could never be a moment more perfect than this. This was where she truly belonged. She knew that her safety would never be compromised, and nothing can penetrate the protective embrace she was trapped in. And the best thing? He was exclusive to her, and her alone.

That is, until a certain retainer that happens to be a little too loyal decides to actually listen to a human's orders for once.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken is aware of the importance of your guest and hence have brought her the wine she has requested for. It is the finest in the whole of the Western Lands, and Jaken is proud to say that he is the only one to have acquired it from the maker. Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken is willing to go to all lengths to attain everything you request for, and make sure that what Sesshomaru-sama gets will always be the best in the whole of the Western Lands! In fact, Jaken does not mind searching the entire Japan just to secure Sesshomaru-sama whatever he needs… SESSHOMARU-SAMA! OH SESSHOMARU-SAMA, WHAT HAS THE HUMAN WENCH DONE TO YOU?"

The little green toad ran into the room, horrified at the sight of Kagome, the human, in his precious Lord Sesshomaru's arms. He quickly set the tray holding the bottle of wine and several wine glasses down on the table in the middle of library, and ran over to where the couple had stopped their dancing.

Whipping his staff out from behind him, he aimed it at Kagome, all the while squawking about the possible spells and enchantments she might have casted on Sesshomaru to make him lose his head. He was frantic and desperate to save his beloved master from the clutches of this human sorceress.

The noise the mass of green created jolted Kagome out of her blissful stupor. She raised her head from its place on Sesshomaru's warm chest to bestow a hard glare upon the toad. Talk about a killjoy. A massive and complete killjoy.

Sesshomaru almost groaned at the loss of the weight of Kagome's head on his being. Just feeling her on his body and knowing she felt safe enough in his arms to entrust her life into his hands… It was indescribable. The bundle he promised silently to protect was now boring holes into his retainer's head, and the cold air that rushed in to take its place on his chest did nothing to improve his mood. He growled viciously and whipped his head around to face Jaken. Honestly, what did he do in his past life to deserve such a servant? Why didn't the toad develop a common sense in all his centuries of living? Why was he burdened with the only toad in the entire world without a shred of common sense? WHY HIM?

His arms loosened their hold on the beautiful female in front of him and he took threatening steps towards the green thing that was Jaken. Sesshomaru snatched away his staff, and upon Jaken's cry of "Sesshomaru-sama! Why are you doing this to me?" and his sobs, picked him up by the scruff of his wart-covered neck. Carrying his load to the wooden door and dropping him in the hallway unceremoniously, he commanded, "Do not disturb us for the remainder of the miko's stay. Is that clear?"

Jaken made to object, but a swift kick from a polished boot to his tiny body had him flying down the hallway and too winded to make any more noise.

Now that that was settled, he turned back to Kagome, whom he had left by the window. She was staring at him with eyes filled with something akin to admiration. He approached the gilded table in the library, and opened the bottle of wine. Pouring the maroon liquid into two wine glasses, he looked up at her and gave her a tiny smile. "Some wine for the lady?"

Kagome, who had been admiring the entirely cool way Sesshomaru had disposed of Jaken, blushed softly, and smiled in response. Adjusting her tube top, she quickly grabbed the glass from Sesshomaru's fingers and downed it all in one gulp. This got her a raised eyebrow from her host. She grinned and returned the glass to him. "One more, please."

He gave her an apprehensive glance as he proceeded to fill her glass again. "I did not think you to be an alcoholic."

She brushed it off with a casual wave of her hand. "Nah, I'm not an alcoholic. I just drink when the occasion calls for it."

Passing her the refilled wine glass, he questioned, "And tonight calls for one?"

"Yup." She sipped the wine slowly this time. "Oh, this is really good stuff."

He took a couple of sips from his own glass. "Naturally. May I ask why tonight is so special?"

She shrugged and winked at him. "Well, you never know what might happen, right?" Without giving him an opportunity to continue his line of thought, she grabbed a heavy chair, pulling it out before sitting down. "Shall we continue our lesson from before dinner?"

He made a noncommittal sound and went to pull out the chair opposite her. Upon hearing Kagome clear her throat, he suddenly remembered the afternoon's events and pushed it back in. Walking around the rectangular table, he pulled out the one next to her and settled himself down, in time to meet Kagome's brilliant smile. He was taken aback.

"Yes, miko?"

Her face scrunched up. "Hur, I liked it better when you were addressing me by name." The bright smile returned and she continued, "I thought you were too high and mighty to move?"

He looked away with his nose in the air. "I have not sat down yet. It is faster for me to walk over here than for you to stand up, push in your chair, walk over to my side, pull out the chair beside me, and sit. My time is precious."

Funnily, she didn't feel offended at all. In fact, a warm feeling overcame her and she couldn't stop smiling. It was endearing, the way he tried to defend himself. What he said was actually mostly crap but the way he said it made it seem as though it was obvious and substantiated by irrefutable evidence. She had a strong urge to hold his hand and interlock their fingers, like she did earlier on. She opted to just giggle instead.

"Alright, let's get cracking! We've covered most of the first chapter this afternoon, I don't suppose we need to cover the male body?"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by Kagome.

"Anyway, I don't think I'm qualified to teach you about the male body, I mean, I'm a female for goodness' sake, and you're a male. Wouldn't it be funny if I were to show you cartoon drawings of the male anatomy in a book and point out the various parts when you actually can just look down at yourself? Just positively hilarious ha ha ha! It's not like I can just point at a certain part of your body and start a discussion about it with you. I wouldn't even really know what I'd be talking about since I have absolutely no experience in that department... Okay, what else do you want to cover?" She changed the subject quickly when she saw Sesshomaru smirking at her, his eyes shining with amusement. Whatever he was thinking of definitely couldn't be any good.

In actual fact, he wouldn't have minded conducting the lesson using his body as a specimen, but since she appeared so shy and ignorant about such things, he decided not to speak his mind. After all, he had yet to conduct his lesson. He smirked at that thought. Upon realizing that Kagome was still waiting for an answer, he swiftly replied, "Anything that pertains to Rin. I would like to understand her maturing process."

She nodded and flipped to the content page. "Well that means we would have to cover periods, oh that I have no problem talking about at all," she muttered to herself. "Contraception… hmm. It's not like they have the stuff here anyway."

Sesshomaru had been peering at the content page too as she was studying it. Coming across the unfamiliar term, he asked, "What is con-tra-cep-tion?"

She frowned and asked in return, "Would you like me to explain that?" At his nod, she turned back to the content page. "I guess that means that's another chapter we would have to cover." Before she turned to the page about periods, Sesshomaru saw something that he tucked to the back of his mind. That piece of information would come in handy later on.

Kagome passed the book to Sesshomaru before clapping her hands together. "Okay let's begin. Periods, in other words, menstruation. Turn to page 22." She waited for him to find the required page before continuing. "As you can see here, this is a drawing of the female reproductive system, which mainly consists of the genitals, the vagina, the cervix, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and womb, aka the uterus, and the womb lining. These all contribute to the formation of a baby." Pointing to a paragraph titled 'Ovulation', she read, "Every month, up to thirty eggs start to ripen, but only one will mature fully and break away from the surface of the ovary. This process of releasing an egg is called ovulation, and happens roughly fourteen days after the first day of your period. Catch any balls?" she asked Sesshomaru.

He lifted a claw to scratch his head leisurely. "Is this when females are in heat?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Hmm… I suppose you could say that. I mean, other than the fact the phrase 'in heat' is usually used on animals, but I can overlook that. You being an inuyoukai and all, heh."

He nodded slowly. "What is the period then?"

She smiled. "Oh, I'm getting to that right about now." She turned the page, and continued reading from the book. "Over the course of the month, your womb lining has been thickening and getting ready to nourish a baby. If the egg isn't fertilized, the womb lining is shed over several days. This, is what we call a period, or menses. Say it after me. Men-ses."

"Men-ses." Sesshomaru pronounced. Kagome couldn't hold back her laugh. "Yes, that's right, menses. You have a flair for the female reproductive system, Sesshomaru." And then she realized she had put her foot in her mouth again. "Nevermind, let's continue. Anyway, this happens in all females, including Rin. In humans, the menstrual cycle repeats every month, or twenty-eight days approximately. A period can last two to eight days, depending on the person."

Sesshomaru cut in halfway. "This period is the shedding of the womb lining?" He waited for Kagome's affirmative nod. "The womb lining is liquid? Blood?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "The fluid that we lose is made of blood, mucus and vaginal secretions, although it may appear to be all blood. So technically speaking, it's not only blood, I guess."

"I see. At what age does the cycle begin?" Sesshomaru questioned.

Explaining, Kagome said, "Well that's the biggest pain in the ass. You won't know when it's about to begin. It just happens. Of course, it depends on the mother too, if she started menstruating early, usually the daughter also starts early. Since you have no idea who Rin's mother is, and even if you did know her, she probably wouldn't tell you the age she started bleeding, you just have to wait until it comes. But it is possible for her to get pregnant before her first period, because ovulation can occur before she begins menstruating."

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed red for a moment before returning to their regular shade of molten gold. "That will never happen. I will make sure of that."

Kagome felt her heart warm slightly. It was so cute the way he was so protective of his young ward. "Your young padawan," she murmured happily to herself.

"Miko, what is it that you just said?" He cocked an eyebrow.

Kagome snorted before shaking her head. "Nothing!" She grinned to herself. Too bad StarWars wasn't going to be introduced until four hundred years later. "Anyhow, periods are a huge headache. They suck, period. Oops, pun not intended." She laughed a little while Sesshomaru just stared blankly at her throughout her short monologue. "As I was saying, periods aren't painless. Except for some lucky ones, of course. Up to six out of ten girls suffer from period pains, and they're actually due to the womb contracting to get rid of the lining. Pain is usually worse during the first few years of getting a period because the body is still adjusting to the new hormonal levels."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Females suffer pain when they, men-stru-ate?"

She shot him an equally incredulous glance. "You thought men were only ones that suffered?"

"Hn." He broke their eye contact and stuck his nose high up in the air. "The pain males go through severely outweighs that of females."

Kagome scoffed. "Yeah, you try having periods twelve times a year and giving birth to kid after kid and having to maintain your youthful appearance, and you come back and look me in the eye, and repeat yourself."

Sesshomaru looked down his nose at her. "Do females in your time often give birth to baby goats?"

Kagome threw her hands in the air in exasperation. She gave up trying to talk to Sesshomaru and instead chose to continue the lesson so they could get it over with. "Besides period pains, there's something else that comes along with periods. It's called the Premenstrual Syndrome, PMS for short. It's also caused by female hormones, and is made up of many symptoms. These symptoms vary from woman to woman; a symptom suffered by one woman may be non-existent in another. Stuff like moodswings, tearfulness, headaches, depression, tiredness and sore breasts are all part of the PMS. Up to ninety percent of females suffer from some form of PMS, so good luck to you if Rin were to suffer from a severe case of PMS." She flashed a triumphant smile.

Sesshomaru was starting to become a little wary of the female population. "Is there no way to reduce the likelihood of this PMS?" he asked, fearing for the future.

She flipped the page and read out from the book, "Well, one way is to avoid caffeine, of which the feudal era doesn't really have much of anyway. The second way is to eat more fruit and vegetables and taking less red meat, meaning your beef steaks are out of the question. The third is to take multivitamins, again non-existent in this era. The last is to exercise more." She continued reading the page silently. "Oh! By the way, if she misses several months' worth of periods, it means she's pregnant. In order to get pregnant, the egg has to be fertilized, which will then attach itself to the womb lining. When an egg attaches itself there, there is no need to get rid of the lining, hence the lack of periods." She quickly added.

He frowned. "Females are very complex. Even their anatomies are very complex."

She patted his shoulder lightly and reassured him, "You just need to get used to it." An invisible bead of sweat rolled down the back of his head. It wasn't actually much reassurance…

Kagome stood up and stretched. "Well! There we go, we're done with periods! Aren't you glad?"

He stood up silently and reached across Kagome to retrieve his wineglass. Kagome was yawning, and had her eyes closed. Upon opening her blue orbs, she was stunned to find herself face to face with Sesshomaru's chest once more. His left arm was pressing against the back of her chair, and his right arm was stretched in front of her. His chest was mere centimeters away from hers and he bent forward to grab his wineglass. Her breath caught as she continued staring straight ahead, afraid to look up. She could feel the warmth radiating off Sesshomaru's body and her cheeks heated up too. She was trying to imagine what he would taste like if she were to draw her tongue over his washboard abs. Sweet? With a tinge of saltiness? What does sexy taste like? Ooh, definitely burning hot. Her heart sped up as she continued fantasizing.

He could clearly hear the racing beats of her heart. He wondered what she was thinking of. His nose twitched. A spicy, sweet scent wafted to his nose. He sniffed and inhaled deeply. The scent was gone. It must have been the alcohol playing with his mind. He grabbed hold of his glass and pulled back, but purposely remained in close proximity with her. He loved seeing her blush. It was a major turn-on.

She kept stock-still, not knowing how to react. She had never been in such close contact with a man before, and such a sizzling hot man too. Hojo obviously didn't count since he was back in her high school days, and Inuyasha… Well. They had never progressed to this stage. They had never even progressed further than kissing – and the only reason they kissed was because the situation called for it. Like how the current situation calls for a drink. Several, actually.

Kagome quickly sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down and turned away from Sesshomaru and his chest. He managed to catch a glimpse of her tomato-red face before she faced her back towards him, which eased his disappointment slightly. She spotted her wineglass at the far end of the table. Going on tiptoe and stretching forward, she had one hand supporting her weight on her end of the table and the other reaching out. The tubetop rode up as she leaned over, exposing a little of her butt-crack and her hip area. A tattoo bearing the words "Let go and let live" was revealed, beside which a dove was pictured mid-flight. Sesshomaru thought he would never meet a hotter woman.

He licked his lips in appreciation as her ass jiggled a little, her arm flailing slightly in an attempt to grasp the thin stem of her wineglass. He was about to offer his assistance when her fingers finally closed around it and brought it to her lips. Gulping down whatever was left in the glass, she poured herself another cup and drank it all in another mouthful, almost like she was inhaling the liquid. She resembled someone who had spent forty years wandering around in the Sahara desert. Sesshomaru stood by her side in mirth and newfound admiration for her alcohol tolerance. Was that what his presence did to her? He was very pleased.

All she had wanted was a little drink to help her get rid of her hot flush and embarrassment, but the more she drank the thirstier she got, and hence the more she drank. Unfortunately, she failed to recall that alcohol dehydrates. It was a vicious cycle that she had begun. Seeing her pause in her demolishing of the entire bottle of expensive wine, he seized his chance and quickly grabbed both her wineglass and the wine bottle out of her grasp. She let out a surprised exclamation at the sudden disappearance of her lifeline. "Hey! I wasn't done with tha – oh," she swayed slightly, quickly grabbing hold of the chair backing to steady herself. "I don't feel so good."

Sesshomaru snorted. Pouring himself a small amount of wine, he noted that there wasn't much left, thanks to the little woman beside him. He put the bottle down on the far end of the table, way out of Kagome's reach to prevent a repeat of what just happened. Sipping daintily, he watched her as she continued to support herself with the chair backing. "Normal people enjoy wine, and sip at it." He took a sip to emphasize his point. "Not gulp it like a fish out of water gasps for air. By the way, that bottle was a vintage port wine. 20 percent alcohol."

Kagome raised her head to look at him slowly. Any quicker and her head would spin. "20… percent?" He nodded in a slow, laidback manner. "But I was thirsty," she whined in self-defense. She was met with a roll of Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Alcohol dehydrates a being, ignorant priestess." He had adopted a tone one would use when talking to a child.

"Oh crap," she facepalmed herself. Either she was getting old, or the wine was clogging up her brain. "Nevermind about me, let's continue our lesson. You wanted to learn about contraception right?"

Sesshomaru doubted she could continue the lesson that night once the alcohol kicked in, but there was no harm in playing along. "Yes." He picked up the book from where she left it and flipped to the content page to find the chapter on contraception.

Groaning as she lowered herself down into her seat, she shook her head a few times, trying to clear the dull haze that was settling upon her mind. 'Should have taken it slow,' she berated herself. Adjusting her chair and bringing it nearer to Sesshomaru, she took a look at the page he was at. She started explaining the concept of contraception to him.

"Contraception just means 'against conception', i.e. using either natural or man-made methods to prevent pregnancy."

Sesshomaru wasn't really paying any attention to her, but he was very entertained by the way her eyes had taken on a dazed look and the way her words were starting to slur together. He replied just to get her to continue speaking, and also because he was slightly curious. "Why would females want to stop themselves from being impregnated?"

She smiled lazily without teeth at Sesshomaru. Ah, that was hot too. He licked his lips in response. "Weeeell, some people just want to enjoy sex," she emphasized the 's' in the word 'sex', "without having to worry about the responsibility of a possible child. You know, if they're say, friends with benefits," she winked. The alcohol was definitely getting to her.

Sesshomaru, being Sesshomaru, of course snatched up the bait she dangled innocently, probably even without being aware that she was doing it. "Friends with benefits, you say?"

"Hyeah," she replied, mashing up the sound 'heh' and word 'yeah'. "Like, friends by day, sex partners by night. People who have a sexual relationship without getting romantically involved. No commitment, no such thing as monogamy, yada." She sniffed. Somewhere in the middle of her little speech, Sesshomaru had moved his chair closer to hers and was now leaning an arm casually against the back of her chair. "But that kinda sucks."

He was puzzled. That sounded like a delicious combination to him. Imagine being able to get a good lay every night without having to worry about the prospect of mating that female. "Why would it be bad?"

She threw him a look that made him question his own statement too. "Uh, duh! Because you don't have to keep to one sex partner, and the possibility of getting a sexually transmitted disease is way higher! And also, what if I fall in love with my sex partner? Or if contraception fails and I get pregnant? Since there's no commitment he's just going to ditch me and leave me alone to rot with my kid. I don't want something like that, I don't want to live in uncertainty or always having to think about the likelihood of my guy sleeping with someone else at the same time. I want someone whom I can," she yawned, "count on to love me no matter what. But of course, it'll be great if he's a beast in bed too," she giggled at that thought. "Grawrh!" She tried to growl, but in her near-drunken stupor, it just came out as an odd gurgle. Apparently her alcohol tolerance wasn't as good as Sesshomaru had originally thought it was. Suddenly, she seemed to regain a little clarity. "Oh, sorry about digressing, let's continue, so, contraception…" she trailed off as Sesshomaru fully turned his body towards her.

He lowered his head towards her right ear, before saying in a low, seductive baritone, "Let us skip contraception. There is one other chapter I am largely interested in, though."

Kagome stiffened. Turning slightly, she whispered, "Which?"

He withdrew a little to meet her dazed blue eyes. "Chapter fifteen, page two-one-four." He watched as she fumbled with clumsy fingers to flip to the page he mentioned. Using his long fingers to guide her own slender ones past the last few pages, they finally arrived at the specified page. Kagome had to blink twice before realizing what the chapter was about. Chapter Fifteen: Having Sex.

She cleared her throat. "Uh Sesshomaru? There's a wee bit of a problem here," she told him.

"And just what might that be?" He almost purred. He delighted in the slight shiver that ran up Kagome's spine.

"Um, I don't have enough experience to actually tell you about this," she started sheepishly. "Actually, I don't have any at all." She almost whispered the last part. Her head was hung in a manner that could only be described as shame. A slight blush had appeared on her face.

Why would she be ashamed of not having lain with a man before? That fact turned Sesshomaru on like there was no tomorrow. Most demonesses were sluts. The only ones that weren't were those of royal blood, and sleeping with any was equivalent to declaring that she was your mate. However, it's funny when you think of the lengths these demonesses go to just to have a tryst with a random stranger. After all, what their families don't know can't hurt them. The females he had once bedded were from aristocratic families, and back in the day, or at least a century ago before his hiatus, families weren't so anal about such stuff. Give these stuck-up people a hundred years, and suddenly they're all high and mighty, and going on about preserving one's chastity and purity. What hypocrites.

On the other hand, this drunken beauty sitting in front of him lived in a time where sex was cheap, and it was by entirely her own choice that she remained a virgin. He didn't believe that it was due to a lack of suitors, she was too gorgeous for that to be true. There was no other explanation. She had just chosen not to sleep with any random man she didn't feel for.

Sesshomaru wanted to make her feel better about herself. He wanted to make her feel wanted. He wanted to make her feel desired. He _needed_ to make her feel loved. Scooting even closer such that his butt was partially on her chair, he held onto the one end of the book with his right hand and wound his left arm around her shoulders to grab hold of the other end, covering her small hand with his larger one. This effectively put her in his embrace, sort of. From an outsider's point of view, they looked like a pair of lovers reading a romance novel together. If only Jaken could have seen it. He would have died of cardiac arrest immediately.

Kagome gasped softly in surprise at the feel of Sesshomaru's arm around her shoulders. He was so incredibly warm. All her inhibitions suddenly disappeared and she snuggled into his chest. It was too damn comfortable an opportunity to pass up. Sesshomaru smiled at her action. He considered it one step nearer to success if she felt so at ease in his presence.

He stroked left thumb lightly to draw her attention back to the book. "Kagome, I believe it is still lesson time," he purred gently into her right ear. He felt her stiffen to suppress another shiver. "Why do you always shiver in my presence? I may be cold towards people, but I do not think I am physically cold. In fact, would you not agree that it is rather the opposite, hm?" he teased.

Kagome giggled at his attempt at a joke. "It's still lesson time, sexy boy," she bumped his chin softly with her head. "Back to the book," she drawled in a slurred manner. "But I don't know how I'm gonna teach you stuff if I don't know anything about what I'm teaching, hic!" she hiccupped, quickly withdrawing her right hand from holding the book to cover her mouth. The book remained in place thanks to Sesshomaru's hold on it.

Dropping a kiss on the side of her face, Sesshomaru whispered, "Whoever said you were going to be the teacher? I believe this is my area of expertise." With that, he turned his attention back to the book. Reading the title of the first paragraph, he began his lesson.

"Let us begin with what the book begins with," he murmured.

Kagome was enraptured by his voice. "K-kissing?" she read, excited in a nervous way. Something began pooling in the pit of her stomach.

"Very good, Kagome," he approved. He continued reading from where she left off. "Lots of people are not certain how to kiss. Being literal, a kiss is where you press your lips against the skin of a person or lips, and in some situations, you move your tongue around in their mouth. Kissing works best when each partner responds to what the other is doing, like dancing together. It is less about technique and more about your feelings for each other. The world's greatest kisser will not get you to respond if you do not like him."

Kagome's heart started racing the minute Sesshomaru had read about dancing. Just less than an hour ago they had been dancing in sync by the windowsill, bathing under the moonlight. Was that a sign? She felt the air around her move and she turned her head, just to see Sesshomaru's face within centimeters of her own, and mere seconds before his gentle lips landed on hers almost tenderly. His golden orbs were trained on her wide blue ones before his lids slid shut and he let go of the book to wrap one around her waist and cup her face. The book fell to the table when Kagome's left hand went slack in surprise. She remained frozen for a few seconds before she felt Sesshomaru nip her lower lip lightly. He pulled back slightly to give her a soft look of reprimand, before saying, "This is a lesson, Kagome, not a performance." He placed a feather-light kiss on her nose. "Kissing is like dancing. It takes two hands to clap, and two mouths to kiss." He landed another kiss on the side of her mouth. "Shall we try again?" He kissed the other side.

Kagome was savouring his attentions. She didn't realize he had asked her a question until he repeated it. Without any hesitation, she gave a quick nod, and blushed when he smiled knowingly at her. He leaned in again, and this time, before their lips touched, he whispered, "Follow your body. It knows what to do." He went in for the kill.

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That's all for Chapter 4 ;D Sorry, but I wanted to end on a nice number of chapters hehe!

Once again, please **review**! They're the air that I breathe :p


	5. Chapter 5

Omg guys I am so sorry for the long wait! A longer note from me will be at the bottom of the chapter. And so, without further ado…

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.

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His lips caressed hers like she would the soft skin of a baby. He was gentle, coaxing her to follow him, much like when he started dancing earlier on. She started to kiss back timidly, afraid of doing the wrong thing, but he continued to draw her out, deepening the kiss the more she let go. Hearing Sesshomaru's words echo in her mind, she tried to follow his instructions and let her body do the work, but she couldn't seem to relax. Suddenly, his arm tightened around her waist and she was jolted out of her train of thought. Her mouth opened slightly in a silent gasp and she felt Sesshomaru's warm tongue trace the contours of her ajar lips. She melted at the way he tried to seduce her with his talented appendage. She couldn't describe the emotions overcoming her and she lost herself to their grip.

Her lips started molding alongside Sesshomaru's, and they fitted together so perfectly it felt like the missing puzzle piece that she had been looking for all along. The satisfaction and unbidden surge of excitement as you fish out the piece you've been searching for relentlessly, the one piece that fits exactly into the gaping hole you've been looking to fill. She felt weird kissing him with her hands on her lap, so she wound them around Sesshomaru's neck. His arm around her waist tightened, pulling her closer, effectively placing her on his lap. Her arms wound tighter as she felt his chest rumble slightly with a soft growl, approval perhaps?

Now that Kagome was simply following her bestial instincts, the act became a whole lot easier. She whimpered as Sesshomaru's fang accidentally poked her sensitive lower lip. He quickly licked the droplet of blood that emerged, before expressing his apology through a gentle caress of her tongue with his. As revenge, she nibbled on his lower lip with her blunt teeth, eliciting a grunt from him. Their tongues danced in unison, swaying in sync, much like they had been earlier. Drunk with each other's taste, they were lost.

Kagome's right hand moved up to tangle in Sesshomaru's silken-smooth hair, keeping a firm grip. Her left hand moved lower, lightly touching his collarbone before trailing downwards, and resting in the groove right in the middle of his defined pectorals. Pulling away from him breathlessly after several minutes of a tongue version of Pepsi Cola 123, she met his glazed golden orbs with half-lidded blue ones. Her lips spread in a lazy smile as she drawled, "That wasn't too bad of a lesson, mister."

He grinned boyishly, a fang peeking out from under his lips. He pulled her in and showered her with several more pecks on the lips before he graced her with an answer. "Do you think this is the end, my Kagome?" he whispered huskily. His smirk grew into a full-blown smile. Kagome was mildly unsettled, but the alcohol in her system made her lose all inhibitions. What uncertainty she felt, she forgot about, and threw caution to the wind.

She gave him a sultry wink and turned in his arms to reach for the wine bottle. However, it was too far out of her reach. She let out a groan and sagged in Sesshomaru's arms. He turned her back to face him and gave her a stern look. "That is enough wine for the night, miko," he admonished. "You are already half-inebriated."

Kagome sulked and her lips formed a small pout. "But I want more," she whined. She thought of something. "You can make me happy, can't you? Give me some more then."

He looked at her with amusement twinkling in his eyes. He leaned in to rest his forehead on hers. "Of course I can make you happy. But no more wine for you." He felt her eyebrows furrow against his skin.

"How can you make me happy if you're not going to give me anymore wine? That's the only way I'm gonna be happy," she intoned.

His right thumb smoothed over her lips, swollen from the earlier lesson, reminding her of the earlier incident and just how skilled he was. "I can make you happy in other ways," he murmured suggestively. "Shall I continue my lesson?"

Her wide blue eyes were trapped in Sesshomaru's heated gaze. Her breath caught and she swallowed nervously. "T-there's more?" she stammered out.

He licked his lips.

That was enough of an answer for Kagome. Suddenly, her awareness heightened to levels that were almost painful. She realized her right hand was still entangled in his silver hair, while her left rested casually on his right shoulder. She was still seated in his lap, comfortably to boot. Their foreheads were still touching, and his left arm was still wrapped around her waist protectively. She felt so warm, smouldering under his intent stare. "What's next?" she whispered.

She didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing that she asked, because she wouldn't have known how to react either way, when his breath ghosted over her nose as he answered silkily, "Foreplay."

Foreplay? As in the activities couples engage in before actually, um, coupling? She had only ever heard her friends talk about it before, and the occasional romance novel. Alright, maybe not so much the occasional. She blushed at the memory of reading numerous bed scenes back in her hut at the village after a long day at the school. She would often purchase battery-operated reading lights from the future just for the sake of indulging in that particular blanket hobby of hers.

Ugh, she shook her head hurriedly to clear her thoughts. It would do her no good to engage in one of her little fantasies right here right now. She was brought back to earth by a soft nose nuzzling her cheek.

"Why the shaking of head, miko? You do not like my lessons?" His low baritone caressed her entire body, sending little tremors running up and down from head to toe.

Alright, she decided. What did she have to lose anyway? She was twenty-one, for goodness' sake, and still had yet to have a single sexual encounter. Listening to other people's recounts was different from experiencing it herself right? She sure didn't want to end up as a forty-year old virgin. Furthermore, this was Sesshomaru, volunteering to tutor her in the ways of the bedroom. Why would anyone refuse his generous offer? She absently wondered if he had offered his educational services to anyone else. How many other lucky females had been on the receiving end of his tutelage? Then she started wondering if she was so lucky after all. What if she didn't measure up? But hang on, she didn't want to just be _another_ female 'student'. As affected by the wine as she was, she still held onto her modern feminist ideals and refused to be another woman for Sesshomaru to add to his growing list of eager pupils, as morbid as that sounded. She had to set things straight first.

"Um, how many other classmates do I have?" she asked, albeit not as eloquently as she would have liked.

Sesshomaru did not fully understand her question. "Classmates?"

Kagome squirmed under his questioning gaze. How was she to explain what she wanted without sounding like a prude? "Like, other students. Other students you… teach, like me." She looked down at her left hand that was resting on his shoulder to prevent him from seeing her beetroot-red face.

Understanding dawned on Sesshomaru. The little miko thought he was merely playing around with her? "Miko, do you not remember me telling you that I have not lain with a woman for centuries? Why would I choose to torture myself by toying with women and then not proceeding with the final sexual act? Do you truly view me that way?" His voice carried a subtle tone of despondency.

Kagome's head whipped up at his clarification. She was strangely relieved. "Oh Sesshomaru, I didn't mean it that way. Really, I didn't," she smiled shyly at him. "It's just, well, you know how I dislike the idea of being friends with benefits," she watched as her fingers toyed with the sleeve of his kimono. "I couldn't deal with the possibility of uh, sharing a teacher. I prefer one-to-one classes," she trailed off. Her cheeks were burning. She couldn't believe what she just said. When did she become so open with her insinuations? Anyway who was she to dictate what Sesshomaru could or could not do?

She met his eyes as she heard a deep chuckle coming from him. His eyes were alight with mischief and amusement. "Miko, the term 'friends with benefits' does not exist in my vocabulary." One side of his lips quirked into a boyish smile, and he did nothing to suppress it.

Her heart fluttered in her chest. What was he implying? If they weren't going to be friends with benefits then what were they going to be? Oh wait, that's right, in order to become friends with benefits you'd have to be friends first. No wonder Sesshomaru was so quick to dispel that thought. He probably didn't even view her as a friend.

Sesshomaru watched as her brows furrowed and a sad expression settled on her face, before morphing into an expressionless one. Her lilting voice reached his sensitive ears. "What am I to you, Sesshomaru?"

Her question caught him unawares. He had expected a joyful reply or something else along that line, but most definitely not a potentially hurtful question. Hurtful to the asker, but it wasn't as though he was going to cause her harm anytime soon. He quickly sought to rid her of all doubts. However, there was only one way he could think of. "There was once my sister and I entered into an argument that I still remember to this day. She told me that a female's first time was very special, and all females hoped to experience a spectacular first time. Then she went on to accuse me of destroying many demonesses' dreams of a magical experience and refused to speak to me for an entire month. I did not tell her, but I was," he paused, in search of an appropriate adjective, "rather affected by her coldness towards me. When I finally gave in and apologized for an act I did not think was wrong at that point in time, she made me promise her something."

"What was it?" Kagome probed, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"She made me promise to never again steal a female's first time if I was only going to ruin it."

Kagome stilled.

"But I will not ruin yours, Kagome."

The silence that reigned in the next few moments was palpable. Gold clashed with blue as the couple remained locked in each other's gaze, one swirling with something akin to affection and determination and the other filled with heartfelt gratitude and surprise.

An odd emotion overcame Sesshomaru and he was appalled to realize that it was fear. Fear of a possible rejection by the one female he had ever sought after. Fear of having said the wrong thing in the wrong tone at the wrong time to the right person. The only person he would ever consider saying it to. The last person to ever hear those words come out of his mouth.

Kagome was the first to break the silence. Not in the way Sesshomaru had expected her to – verbally – but in the way he didn't even stop to consider. Using her right hand, which was already fisted in his hair, she kept his head in place while she dropped her lips down to meet his aggressively. His eyes widened perceptibly. He was frozen in shock. Kagome licked his lower lip and whispered huskily, "This is a lesson, Sesshomaru, not a performance." She gave him a seductive wink as she repeated his own words to him.

Sesshomaru was dragged back to reality when a warm hand started trailing from his shoulder down his chest towards his stomach. He could feel the heat radiating off the small palm through the thin fabric of his white kimono. He quickly grabbed the hand before it reached any lower. He pulled her in, kissing her deeply, their tongues engaged in a tantalizing battle of dominance, leaving each hungering for more as they continued, desperately trying to quench their undying thirst. Letting go of Kagome's hand to join his other arm around her waist, he lifted her from his lap and placed her gently on the table, all the while still engaged in their endless little game.

Using every ounce of willpower he had in him to tear himself away from her hot mouth, he sat back and stared at her hungrily. His golden orbs had turned a shade closer to amber, conveying just how affected he was by the minx sitting right in front of him, waiting. Well, he wasn't going to make her wait any longer. Heck, he wasn't going to make himself wait any longer.

"Kagome," her name rolled off his tongue like silk, "what would you like me to do?"

She met his smoldering eyes with a lustful gaze of her own as she answered confidently, "Undress yourself."

He was about to heed her instruction when a thought occurred to him. "Are you certain, miko?" he questioned, just to make sure. When he saw her pause for a fraction of second, he continued. "There is no turning back after this."

Kagome merely rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well? Are you just going to keep me waiting here or do something about your clothes? Time is money, you know!"

Sesshomaru growled and stood up roughly, his gilded chair falling over with the immense force he exerted. The claws on his right hand lengthened, and he ran his index finger down the centre of his kimono. Seconds later, the white piece of cloth fell open to reveal his muscular torso, his washboard abs flexing as he breathed in and out. Kagome watched in blatant admiration as he slowly stepped closer to her. Her eyes didn't leave his chest, until he spoke. When he did, his voice resonated within her. "This Sesshomaru listens to no one."

She let out a gasp as she met red-rimmed orbs, which was promptly swallowed up by his warm mouth as he devoured her. Her arms went round his neck automatically, and his left arm around her waist. As their tongues engaged in a dance that was becoming familiar, his right hand deftly unbuttoned her jeans and lowered the zipper. Pulling her flush against his chest, he lifted her the few inches needed to quickly tug the figure-hugging pair of pants down. He set her back down gently on the table, and detached his mouth from hers to pull the jeans off completely, tossing it back on the forgotten chair that laid on the floor. He took two steps back just to appreciate the view that Kagome presented.

Her lips swollen from the intense battle, her dark brown tresses all messed up, and her chest heaving slightly in order to regain her breath. Her white tube top was out of place, hanging a little too low, letting out some alluring cleavage and leaving not much to one's imagination. Her sensible, plain black panties stood out in contrast. Her skin had a healthy glow and was evenly bronzed thanks to hours spent out under the sun with the village children. Her arms, placed on either side of her, supported her weight as she leaned forward to catch her breath. Her shapely legs swung about casually, hanging off the table.

"You are a very pleasing sight," he commented in approval.

Kagome laughed. "Wish I had brought my camera, and then I'd be able to check myself out too."

He quickly covered the distance between them and gave her a deep kiss, rendering her breathless once more. "Mmm, you will explain what a camera is later."

He kissed her nose and moved to the side of her jaw, lavishing her with delightful kisses and licks as he proceeded down the length of her neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair as one of his arms wrapped around her waist to support her. Something rather pleasant began to overtake her as she felt moisture starting to pool between her legs. Feeling his lips move against the skin of her collarbone and hearing a sound that distinctly resembled his speaking voice, she loosened her grip on his head. "Huh?" she asked intelligently.

Sesshomaru lifted his head to look up at the beautiful female. "Stop trying to suck in your stomach, Kagome. You have nothing to hide."

She blushed as she averted her gaze. "But I have a tummy." However, as she said it, she let go of the breath she had been trying to hold in subtly.

Her stomach morphed from its previous concave position to settle as a flat plain. Was this the 'tummy' she was referring to? "Miko, your stomach is as level as the Kimberley Plateau, but it is nowhere near as breathtaking as you. You are stunning. Do not believe otherwise." He resumed his delicate ministrations to her body.

Kagome smiled as a tingly feeling spread through her body, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. Sesshomaru's words kept repeating in her head, each time triggering a fresh burst of warmth, feeding the little coil that had begun to build up inside her. Until something occurred to her. "You've been to Australia?"

She felt a slight gush of air as he sighed. "Miko… Can you save the questions for later?"

Blushing, she stroked his head lightly. Her fingers found his ears, and traced their contours, following them to the tips where they pointed out. She repeated her action.

This definitely spurred Sesshomaru on in his attentions. Each time she caressed his sensitive ears, a shiver ran up his spine and he found himself getting more aroused by the minute. This shouldn't be happening, it was him who was supposed to get her all worked up, not the other way round. He was almost ashamed of himself; letting someone with no experience whatsoever gaining the upper hand. He wasn't going to take that lying down. It was time to step up his efforts.

Leaving the arm wrapped around her waist where it was, his other hand began trailing down her body. It moved from the back of her neck to her shoulder, continuing to the top of her breasts, and progressing down through the valley between her bountiful mounds. Halfway through its journey, his hand grabbed one and lightly kneaded it, producing a startled gasp from the owner. He smirked as his fingers resumed their journey, exploring lower. All the while, his mouth was busy licking, nipping and kissing various parts of her face and shoulders, keeping her distracted from where his hands were going.

Finally arriving at her legs, he pushed her thighs apart. He sought her mouth as he dragged a finger along the inside of one thigh, puffing his chest out in pure male pride as he felt her shiver in anticipation. She had no idea what was coming.

Drawing his finger closer to her womanhood, he broke away to whisper, "I will not make you regret anything." He elongated one claw and nimbly, but carefully, cut the piece of black fabric right at its center, creating an opening in her already damp panties.

Kagome tensed as she felt his fingers linger around her nether region, making the faint throbbing she was feeling grow stronger. She didn't know what to expect, seeing as this was her first sexual encounter with a real, live, breathing male. How was she supposed to respond? Was she supposed to make any sounds? How do you moan correctly anyway? Ugh, why did everybody only describe the experience but not come up with an instruction manual for first-timers? Which means there was only one solution left. "Teach me, Sesshomaru."

His eyes seemed to brighten and glow as he looked deep into her eyes, looking through the windows to her soul. "My pleasure, Kagome." He kept his gaze locked onto hers as he brought his fingers to her entrance, making sure his claws were retracted.

"Kiss me."

Their lips met and Kagome let out a strangled moan as Sesshomaru's slender index finger entered her swiftly.

He didn't give her a chance to think about what he was doing before plunging his tongue roughly into her mouth. He sought to give her as much pleasure as possible. He wanted to blow her mind.

His finger withdrew, giving her a slight reprieve, but not for long, as it rapidly reinserted itself. This time, Kagome's breath hitched. Sesshomaru felt the gasp in his mouth more than he heard it. Taking it as a form of encouragement, he continued.

There were too many things happening at one time for her mind to form comprehensive thoughts. It had all gone down to her baser instincts. She was torn between Sesshomaru's talented mouth on hers and his long digit penetrating her. When she first felt the presence of his finger inside her womanhood, she was startled and had immediately stiffened. She couldn't contain the sound that escaped her. Thankfully, Sesshomaru brought her attention back to him as his tongue explored her responsive cavern. But when the finger slid out, she had felt an odd sense of emptiness, subtle as it may be. She wasn't given enough time to ponder over it as his finger once again announced its presence, and she started to like how it felt.

The low throb in her abdomen intensified and she could feel moisture gathering where Sesshomaru's hand was. Something started building up in her as he persistently showered her with his attentions and ministrations.

He was getting somewhere, he noted with pride, and his ego surged somewhat. He couldn't curb the feeling that overcame him when he looked upon her flushed face and panting breaths. Each time he kissed her, each time his finger surged into her, each time her breath caught in her throat – it only reiterated their current situation. It was him who was doing this to her, and the only female he'd ever think of doing this to, mind you, and it was her who had him wrapped around her little finger. To think that she wasn't even aware of that.

He had promised not to let her regret it, and he would make sure of that.

Pulling back from her very swollen lips, he gazed upon her face with half-lidded eyes and a look of contentment settled on his face. Yes, this is exactly what he had always wanted. Kagome's eyelids lifted lazily, and clouded blue eyes stared back at him. Clouded with something akin to lust, he must add. Her lips stretched languidly into a smile, and he felt like giving a silly grin in return. Well, this urge he managed to curb, and settled for an indulgent smile instead. Deciding she deserved more, he bent his head low.

He pressed a kiss to her neck, where her major artery lay. He progressed downwards, finally paying some attention to her chest. He nestled his face in between her fleshy mounds for a few moments, just taking in her scent quietly.

Turning his face to the left, he licked the top of the left breast through the thickened cloth of her tube top, creating a small wet patch on the white fabric. Wondering if she could feel what he was doing through the piece of cloth, he started sucking gently. He moved his other hand away from her waist to knead the other neglected mound, fingers toying with the slight bump that was her nipple.

Evidently, the material was not as thick as he had assumed it to be because the minute he lifted his face from her chest, her nubs stood up rebelliously against the fabric, creating visible miniscule protrusions. Changing his target, he paid her right breast the same amount of attention, suckling it and toying with her peak. After a while though, he concluded that there wasn't enough skin contact. Making a quick decision, he extended one finger with its claw ready, and cut her tube top vertically down, much like what he did to his own kimono top.

It fell apart easily, revealing her beautifully sculpted chest, rising and falling in time with her hurried breaths. He let out a soft sigh of appreciation. Bringing his face close to her uncovered bosom once more, he gladly resumed his actions with renewed vigour.

All the while, his hand was busy pleasuring her. Sometime while he was bestowing affection on her assets, he had increased his finger to two. Suddenly, he recalled something he had stored to the back of his mind during her earlier lessons.

"_Men," muttered Kagome. She cleared her throat and jiggled the book a little to confuse Sesshomaru. "Alright, lesson time. Girls have three holes in this area, as compared to boys. One being the pee-hole, one being the asshole, and the last being the vagina."_

_Sesshomaru frowned. "The book says they are called urethra, anus and vagina entrance," he corrected. Kagome blushed. _

"_Don't be an asshole!"_

"_I believe I am hardly an anus."_

_Kagome huffed and made to flip the page, but a clawed hand stopped her. He pulled the book slightly towards himself, and seemed to be reading intently. Curious as a cat, Kagome tried to see what he was reading. He swatted her face away with his other hand absently and flipped the page the minute he was done. His eyes held a sly twinkle in them that Kagome didn't like at all. She shuddered. "Cold, miko?" He almost purred._

The little piece of information he had been engrossed in was coming in handy right now. Thinking back to the drawn image of the female genitalia, he remembered reading about a tiny bump filled with loads of nerve endings, and about it being crucial to a female's orgasm. The clitoris, it was called. Satisfied that he had pampered her sensuous chest enough, he moved down lower still.

Reaching her navel, he kissed it lightly and gave it a quick lick. He smirked as she squirmed. Licking it again and sucking once this time, he continued downwards.

He stopped when he reached the apex of her thighs, and watched as his fingers pushed in and out. Mesmerised, he whispered, "You are beautiful."

Apparently Kagome was too busy enjoying what he was offering her, because she only gave him a feminine grunt in return. He chuckled to himself. Lowering his head, he breathed in deeply. Her scent washed over him like a downpour, and he was giddy with it. She smelt like newly blossomed jasmine flowers with a tinge of peach. Every time he breathed it in, he pictured them by a beautiful lake, the sun shining down upon them, her lying on the grass, beaming happily, and him smiling back down at her contentedly. The sound of laughter would surround them – children's laughter, their pups' laughter, as they ran about and played in the water. Mmm, pups. That left him with a strangely pleasant feeling and a strong urge to grin. That might not be too far off, considering what they were about to engage in after all…

He neared her slit and finally stopped his fingers from their busy activity. Hearing a disappointed whine from Kagome, he gave her a tentative lick, unsure if she would like what he was about to do. His sister had once commented a long time ago that she didn't really like guys who delved into cunnilingus because she felt it was really awkward and disconcerting, regardless of how good it felt. She preferred her males just using their fingers instead. But Sesshomaru couldn't resist the urge to taste her. Then again, Kagome wasn't his sister, so who knows?

The gasp that followed and a throaty groan left the lady in question. Her thighs quivered as he gave her a longer and slower lick. "O-oh, great, mmm…" she let out. Reaching down one hand to tangle in Sesshomaru's hair, she mumbled, "Do that again." A slight pause ensued, and a "please" followed.

It seemed like lady luck was smiling upon him. He whooped inwardly with a triumphant shout.

Taking his own sweet time, his sole purpose was to bring as much pleasure as possible. He pleasured her with long, even strokes, occasionally playing with the nub whose importance was often overlooked. She was his empress, and as such she deserved no less than what she rightfully deserved.

Kagome had felt nothing like what Sesshomaru was bestowing upon her. It felt like her mind had detached itself from her body, leaving her in a state of pure, physical bliss. She was incapable of comprehending anything else other than the waves of delight that swept continuously over her, washing away her sanity and just leaving her quivering in ecstasy. How could she have lived without this for the past twenty-one years?

It was beyond anything else. It was better than the first sip of a chocolate milkshake after queueing for hours under the hot sun, it was better than taking the first bite of a juicy McSpicy after months of a fast-food hiatus. It was better than a cold shower after a running a marathon, and boy was it better than getting modern-day feet massage after traipsing nonstop all over feudal Japan.

Then again, this was Sesshomaru she was talking. Anything about him is probably better than almost everything. Like his hair, his looks, his skills, his fingers…

Kagome stiffened as the coil in her abdomen tightened unbearably. She knew she was on the verge of something, but exactly what she didn't know. She hated the feeling of being left there to hang, like on the edge of a cliff just before one bungee-jumps. Or when you're about to sneeze and you're just waiting for it to come, and counting down the seconds. At least when you're waiting for a sneeze you actually know you're going to sneeze, but Kagome had no idea what was going to happen to her once she takes the plunge. It was like waiting for Madam Guillotine to make a decision.

Sesshomaru could feel her thighs trembling around him, her hand in his hair tighten its grip, and could hear her pulse rate increase as she started panting heavily. Spurred by her reaction, he took hold of her little bundle of nerves and began to suck gently on it while replacing his tongue with two fingers. Sensing her approach to completion, he began a low thrum in his chest, allowing the small tremors to travel to her body.

The minute he began the tiny vibrations, she knew she was lost. As she tipped over the edge, the fall was exhilarating. She couldn't contain the gratifying cry that burst from her.

And it was all because of him. He released the nub soon after she reached her release, not wanting to waste a single drop of the sweet ambrosia that leaked from her lady flower. He lapped at her, cleaning her up, harvesting the saccharine nectar he had coaxed out. If they said most smells turn out better than how they actually taste, they obviously haven't tasted this exquisite nymph. Truly, it was the food of the immortals.

He finished his snack and looked up at her. His breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely stunning and downright resplendent. Her cheeks were flushed, her head bowed, and her brunette tresses formed a crown around her intricately carved face. Her chest was heaving slightly in an attempt to catch her breath, and the hand that wasn't entwined in his hair was gripping the edge of table tightly, as though it was her lifeline.

Sensing his gaze on her, she lifted glistening blue orbs to meet his shining golden ones. His breath caught. Was she crying?

"Did I hurt you?" Sesshomaru asked softly, afraid of the answer. He would willingly punch himself in the gut for her. "I'm sorry."

To his utmost surprise, she laughed. Sniffling, she wiped the moisture away from her eyes as she replied, "Of course not, don't be silly. Laugh at me but… I'm just touched," she grinned sheepishly. "I can't think of a better word, so I'm just going to say that it was um, beautiful," she ended lamely. "You're beautiful. No wait, that didn't come out right," she face-palmed herself.

Sesshomaru smiled. "Yes, that was not accurate. You're," he emphasized, "beautiful." He was rewarded with a dainty little blush.

Much as he would love to continue praising his precious miko, he was reminded of his own predicament by a painful throb of his member. He had been too caught up in pleasuring Kagome that he hadn't had the time to pamper himself.

Just as he was trying to come up with a tactful way of raising the subject, Kagome broke in. "You, uh, need, uh, nevermind, just come on over."

He raised an eyebrow at her command.

She pursed her lips as she made a vague gesture towards his pants. "I'm from five hundred years in the future, I think I'd know when a guy's about to have a case of blueballs."

Sesshomaru made to say something, but she cut in once more. "And besides, we haven't actually done anything…"

Was she that eager? Why, he shouldn't deny her anything then. In that case…

He walked over to her and picked her up bridal style. "Wha – hey! Put me down! I don't have any pants on!"

He spared her a glance as he carried her to the back of the library. "Or top, for that matter." Her tube top had fallen apart on the table after he cut it in half, seeing as how it was only a piece of cloth after all.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her bared chest. "Where are you bringing me to?"

"My bedroom, of course. Unless you would prefer the wooden table," he winked.

Her face reddened. "No thanks. You stay in the library? That's weird."

Sesshomaru sighed. "No miko, I do not stay in the library. The library is merely connected to my room through a set of doors."

"Oh okay," Kagome commented. She had had enough of embarrassing herself. Silence is golden, after all.

Sesshomaru made his way behind two bookshelves placed at an awkward angle, and studied the shelves before him. Observing him stare at the rows of books, Kagome watched as he seemed to find what he was looking for. He lifted one hand from her body to push a particular book deeper into the shelf. She had expected it to not move, since the book was already touching the back of the shelf, but she was wrong. The book moved in a couple of centimeters to reveal a small lever embedded in the wood of the ornate shelf. Sesshomaru pulled on it, and a heavy set of doors, previously camouflaged into the lavish wallpaper, slid open. Kagome swallowed an awestruck gasp as he walked in with her in his arms. The doors slid shut of their own accord.

It was an impressive… apartment. That was the only word Kagome could come up with. His 'bedroom', comprised a mini-kitchen, a reading room with large windows facing the gardens, the actual bedroom with his bed, and a private toilet. It was essentially a private apartment all by itself – one could live a good life just within the confines of this one room – and it was merely the master bedroom. She absently wondered if his guestrooms were anything like his. If they were, she had a faint idea of why Shippo loved sleeping over so much.

"Wow, man! Wow," was all she managed.

Before she could ask, he explained. "This is my private abode. The palace is often visited by other taiyoukai and distant monarchs, and as I do not like having to come across their presence when in need of something, I commissioned this design for privacy's sake."

Now that was understandable. Kagome knew how weird it could get when all you want is a cold glass of milk in the middle of the night, and you end up having to make small talk with a visiting house-guest looking for a cup of water. In the kitchen, no less.

She nodded approvingly. "I could get used to this, too bad they don't build huts as large as your room back at the village."

He looked down at her. "I could give you a room here."

She gaped at him. "In the western palace? Holy comolie! But I wouldn't have a use for it anyway," she added.

"You never know," he responded mysteriously. Carrying her into his genuine bedroom this time, he placed her gently on his bed. Standing back, he started to disrobe himself. Taking off what remained of his upper kimono, he made quick work of his hakama pants and fundoshi.

Kagome watched intently as he dropped his pieces of clothing on the floor nonchalantly. He looked so at ease being naked that she felt embarrassed of her own inhibitions. Come on, she was the modern girl here. What's the problem? She was sure pornography wasn't available at a click of a mouse in this time. Why was she so concerned about him seeing her naked anyway?

That's because it's Sesshomaru she was talking about here.

Anything that involved Sesshomaru meant perfection… and she was definitely far from perfection.

She fisted one hand in his silken bedsheets as she watched him get on the bed and stalk closer to her. With each centimeter he covered, the more nervous she got. The man had tons of women willingly throwing themselves at his feet, how could she possibly measure up to them? She was firstly, human, and secondly, a virgin. What taiyoukai would want a _virgin human_?

Her anxiety was like a cold bucket of water being poured over him. It was so thick in the air; he was almost breathing it in. He approached her slowly and made to gather her in his arms, but he was stopped by a clammy hand on his chest. Instead, he used a hand to take hold of it. "What is the matter, miko?" he asked softly. "Is something wrong?"

Kagome hesitated. Why was he spending so much time with her after being celibate for so long? It wasn't like she was some sex expert or something. Maybe he just wanted to try sleeping with a human? No, that was absurd. What if he considered this as a form of payment for the lessons she had given him? As an obligation, and not because he wanted to?

She met Sesshomaru's inquisitive orbs before voicing her worries. She didn't want him to regret anything. Then again, she didn't want to regret anything either. This concerned her virginity after all, and she doubted she could actually sleep with a man – youkai or not – with no strings attached. "Sessh, I just wanted to make it clear that I agreed to our arrangement, i.e. the lessons, willingly, and there's no need to repay me for anything, okay? Uh, and if I assumed wrongly, I want to reiterate too that I'm a human…" she trailed off uncertainly. It sounded a little too presumptuous to her own ears. "I don't want us to wake up tomorrow with any regrets, on either of our parts."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed the slightest bit. She thought he was merely repaying her for her kind generosity? She couldn't be any further from the truth even if she wanted to. These loose ends needed to be tied up. They _must_ be tied up. "This Sesshomaru might have made numerous mistakes in the past, but this is the present, and I am absolutely certain, that this is not one."

How did he always manage to say the things she wanted to hear?

Kagome's face lit up with a huge smile. The once clammy hand was quickly turning warm once more as her nervousness melted away into a warm puddle of delight. She pulled her hand out of his and took a firm hold of his face, planting a giant and noisy kiss on his lips. "That's your reward," she said happily.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Is that all? I am afraid that I am not in the least bit contented. I do not settle for anything less than what I duly deserve," he smirked mischievously. Kagome grinned.

"I'm all yours, mister."

He licked his lips and dived into his treat. Kagome let go of his face and allowed her fingers to run rampant over his body. He slid backwards a couple of inches in order to tug off Kagome's black panties, leaving her completely bare to his hungry gaze. He felt his jaw start to droop, and had to consciously pull it back in place, while swallowing the lump that had formed at the back of his throat and licking away the saliva that pooled at the bottom of his fangs.

Boy, was she a vision. Apparently she shaved too.

As though she could read his mind, she sheepishly explained, "I do a lot of manual labour here in the feudal era, and since there's an obvious lack of showering facilities and feminine soap, I don't fancy myself loading up on perspiration down there."

"Sexy." Before Kagome could recover from the shock of hearing the proud taiyoukai use a modern slang, he drew her into a deep kiss, running his fingers lightly along the side of her body, past her hips and waistline towards her generous bosom.

His palm covered one breast as he pushed her backwards to lie on her back. Using the other hand as support, he rubbed and teased her peak, not relenting until it hardened and stood at attention. Doing the same to the other, he made sure to lavish her upper body with sufficient affection.

Progressing downwards, his mouth moved from her lips to her jawline and neck, placing feathery kisses everywhere while his fingers ventured south. Finding her precious womanhood, he quickly adjusted himself, nudging her legs apart with his knees. He cupped it, drawing a finger gently over the length of her slit. When he heard a pleased moan, he dipped a finger in, to get her ready and moist.

Kagome's hands had found rest on Sesshomaru's ears. She stroked them carefully, knowing that they were extremely sensitive. He shivered as she caressed his appendages almost lovingly. However, the lower his fingers explored, the less she controlled her strokes. Soon, she gave up rubbing his ears in favour of tangling one hand in his hair and the other grasping at his muscled back. When he inserted one digit into her, she let out a low moan of pleasure as she dragged her blunt nails over his back lightly.

Knowing it pleased her greatly, he took one breast in his mouth, while his finger started thrusting slowly. Feeling the same coil start to tighten in her lower abdomen, she bucked her hips against his hand, wanting more. More of what, she didn't know. Just more.

He groaned as she bucked and moistened his palm with her feminine juices. Her strong scent of arousal was intoxicating him once more. It was his undoing.

Something was poking her thigh and it was getting to be rather uncomfortable. Shifting herself and widening her legs, the thing bumped her sex, and triggered a strong throbbing of desire. The throbbing was more uncomfortable than whatever it was that was poking her previously, so she shifted once more. However this time, the thing bumped her harder than before. She was met with a long, low groan as Sesshomaru paused in his fingering. "Miko, do not tempt me," he ground out with much effort.

It didn't help the way she kept bucking her hips against his member. Here he was, trying to keep his urges at bay and she kept teasing him.

"Tempt, you," she spoke in pants, "to, do, what?"

He gritted his teeth as her doe-like eyes directed a half-lidded look at him. It was pretty damn hot. "To devour you," he growled out.

He stiffened when she gave him a sultry wink. "Then do it already! A hungry man is an angry ma-an!" she said in a singsong voice.

Since she asked for it… "Mm," he grunted as he pushed himself up and aligned his heavily engorged member with her velvet entrance. His tip accidentally prodded her entrance and he had to clench the sheets tightly, almost shredding them just to stop himself from ramming into her. The heat coming from her was enveloping, and addictive. He wanted to submerge his entire being into her depth and just drown.

"This might hurt a little," he warned her huskily. Much as he hated to bestow any pain upon this beautiful creature, it was inevitable.

She looked down for a moment before matching his gaze with a brilliant smile. "But you'll take the pain away."

His heart clenched – in happiness or passion, he wasn't too sure, but to him they were the same. He couldn't stop the face-splitting grin that crept onto his face. "Yes, I will."

He engaged her mouth in a deep kiss to distract as he slowly pushed into her. Through their connected mouths, he could feel her every reaction – the slight tensing as she truly felt him, the small gasps that escaped her when it got so tight. When he reached her maidenhood, he nibbled on her bottom lip and his fingers captured her bountiful mounds in his hands. Surging forth while she was enraptured by his ministrations, he swallowed her cry of pain.

There were so many things happening at once. At first she felt like she was being stretched, but slowly she got used to the full feeling. When she thought that that was all there was to it, he started nibbling on her lower lip and playing with her chest. She was just about to let loose a low moan when he drove forward, _hard_, into her, and suddenly a sharp pain resonated up and down her being. The moan immediately translated into a cry of pain, which he quickly silenced with a deep kiss, but it didn't take away the ache in her nether region. His hands didn't stop though – and now she was in her current predicament, a flood of pain mixed with pleasure washing over her.

Her hands were latched onto his back like he was her lifeline, her fingernails raking over his smooth skin that carried a scent of masculinity. Time seemed to slow down as they both enjoyed the sensations of being in such an intimate embrace.

Kagome sure didn't expect her heart to flutter so rapidly when Sesshomaru lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Are you well, my miko?" His act of concern touched her, and she had no idea why. Wasn't it a mere question asking after her wellbeing? But it's the great Lord Sesshomaru in question here. He never showed care when he was out slaughtering lesser youkai, why would he show care when he was bedding a mere mortal girl?

Then again, he had admitted several times that he didn't see her as just a mere mortal girl. In fact, he sounded as though he wanted this to progress into something more than a one-night stand. The funniest thing was, she wanted it to turn into something more too.

Could she be… starting to see him as something more than an aloof youkai lord? Such that she's even beginning to consider him as a potential… boyfriend?

She was drawn back to reality when Sesshomaru repeated her question with a slight nuzzle to her nose. She smiled her assurance, but couldn't stop her heart from skipping another beat when he gave her a slight smile in return. He moved, and all her worries from a second ago turned into dust and disappeared with the wind as she drowned in his passion once more.

He drew back slowly, eliciting a soft moan from Kagome, before setting an easy rhythm. It didn't take her too long to settle into the new pattern, sometimes raising her hips to meet his. Her eager actions encouraged him and he sped up gradually, starting to lose himself in the pleasure that was overwhelming him. He didn't realize just how much he hungered for a woman's touch after centuries of keeping away from them until he met Kagome. She was his heroine, and he was more than happy to be addicted to her ecstasy. Her mewls and moans were his drug, and he would do anything to keep her by his side. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning, and he wanted to wake her up with kisses and touches filled with his love. He wanted to see her belly swell with his pups, and he wanted to grow old with her. He wanted to share his lifespan with this beauty that was irreplaceable in his heart.

He had no idea how or when he started developing such thoughts, but what he knew was those were what he wanted right now. And once he makes up his mind, he doesn't falter. How odd for him, of all people, to follow in his father's footsteps.

He was so close to his release and he wanted nothing more than to melt into her arms, but he forced himself to wait. He wouldn't give into his own demands until hers were fulfilled. He would do anything for her, anything, as long as it would convince her to stay by his side.

Kagome was almost in tears, such was the immense amount of pleasure that this perfect youkai lord was giving her. At least now she could boast about her incomparable first time. She felt something tighten in her abdomen, coiling and coiling so tight that she was starting to get breathless. She was an inch away from the edge, so close yet so far.

"Sesshomaru," she gasped.

He grunted and nuzzled her neck before answering her, "Yes?"

She threaded her fingers through his silken hair, bringing his gaze to meet hers. "I'm… coming," she panted slightly, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue as she thought about how explicit that sounded. She couldn't believe what she just said to Sesshomaru, but there wasn't any other way she could have phrased it that was more precise.

His amber eyes sparkled as he smiled, a fang peeking out cutely. "Then let yourself fall," he replied, before engaging her mouth in a hot kiss. His pace increased and one of his hands went to massage her chest. "Remember my name," he whispered, and trailed the same hand down her body. He took her swollen little nub in two fingers, and gently rubbed it. That was all it took to send Kagome careening over her cliff, free-falling into delirium and drowning into euphoria. His name echoed around in the lush bedroom the two lovers were in.

The tightening of her walls around his manhood was too much for him to take, and he answered her call, following after her into the depths of paradise. The centuries of abstinence were worth it if it meant an encounter as phenomenal as this. His pleasure was voiced through his animalistic growl, reminding Kagome that despite his outwardly appearance, Sesshomaru was still a beast at heart, but somehow, instead of being repulsed, she was turned on. She realized that she did, indeed, want him.

Pulling him in for a long kiss, her blue orbs shimmered as she looked at him. "What have we done?" she asked, not knowing what she wanted to hear.

He caressed her cheek softly, and gave her a better answer than anyone else could have given. "We made love."

**\(^o^)/**

Hiiiii everyone once again! I know it's been ages since I last updated, heck, I can't even remember when the last time I updated was! I am indeed a horrible author… but you must understand. I am an Arian, and Arians are well-known for starting something and leaving it halfway However! I brought myself back, and with an exceptionally long chapter at that! AAAAND, I'm in the midst of my exams too. Aren't you guys proud of me? *grin*

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have no idea how other authors are able to churn out their chapters within hours, because I need days to even write half, which would also contribute to the long time between updates. I take incredibly long to think up the right words to convey the right emotions and the right thoughts I want my readers to feel and think. I do hope all my efforts have paid off~

Oh and something else, I _am_ a relatively new writer after all, even though I've been reading fics for years and years. I don't have a habit of replying the reviews I get, but I realized just how rude that was! Rest assured though, I **do** read through each and every review you send, and every time I upload a new chapter, I check my email eagerly every day! Every review brings a smile to my face and I am eternally grateful for your compliments and encouragements

Speaking of which, this story has technically ended, and I will be adding a short epilogue after this to conclude it properly. I will be replying all my reviews – _from chapter 1 all the way till here_ – in the next chapter! It shall be a post dedicated to all my wonderful readers. I promise to make it a habit to reply all reviews!

Thank you so much for reading once more, and I hope you've enjoyed this short story of mine. I've thought up some longer storylines, and I'm quite excited about starting new stories, but this brings me back to my problem of not updating for ages. Unless you guys are willing to be patient with me… hehe.

I will be incredibly busy though, this year. Ah well, we'll see.

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'm looking forward to them (as always).** Back to studying for me then! Sigh.

xoxo


	6. Epilogue

****Guess what this is...

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor its characters.**

**\(^o^)/**

The sun dawned bright, its rays reaching lazily through the windows to rest gently upon the slumbering couple. The handsome male had one arm tucked underneath his head while the other was slung over the beautiful female's hip, holding her captive. One of her dainty hands rested on his chest while the other was wrapped around his waist. Raven and silver silken strands of hair fanned out around them while they rested. Neither stirred as time passed them by.

A couple of hours later, Kagome awoke with a groan. She had a horrible ache in her abdomen. Removing her arm from Sesshomaru's hip and tucking herself into a ball, she tried to fall back asleep, but the pain kept her awake. Groaning softly once more, she tossed in his arms, restless but unwilling to get up.

Her movements jostled him awake and he watched her fidget groggily. "Is anything the matter, koi?" The term of endearment slipped past his lips, albeit unwittingly. His brain wasn't quite awake yet.

"It hurts," Kagome whimpered. That got Sesshomaru alert alright.

"I smell blood, are you hurt?" He pulled her in closer towards him, and nuzzled his nose in her hair. "Where does it hurt?"

'_Oh great, this is totally the best time. I don't even know if I should be happy or annoyed,'_ thought Kagome. "Shit, I think my period just came."

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow.

"Menses, remember?" She couldn't help feeling weird recapping their lesson and using such a formal term. She had always hated the word 'menses', preferring to use a vaguer term like 'period'. There wasn't exactly a reason for her discomfort, but even so, it just felt really, really odd.

He thought for a bit as Kagome watched. Were his eyes always this expressive? Once upon his time his eyes were frozen, with not a hint of any emotion. Now though, his amber orbs were swirling thunderstorms, belying each and every emotion that accompanied his thoughts. She stared, mesmerized, as his eyes obtained a spark the moment he remembered their lesson together.

"I remember now. Is your womb in the process of shedding its lining?" He asked innocently, wanting only to clarify.

Kagome coughed as a slight blush appeared. "Well, yes, it is."

"Does this mean your egg has not been fertilized?"

She choked on her saliva as she quickly looked away from his piercing gaze. Why was he asking anyway? Did he always have to be so inquisitive? "I… ah… um… yeah?" she replied weakly.

He was kind of disappointed. He was sure that didn't mean that his sperms were somehow unable to fertilize her egg, but he was rather unhappy over the fact that it just didn't happen. He didn't actually know what he wanted, but if he had managed to impregnate her, that would mean that he was one step closer to achieving his goal of making her his. Furthermore, she couldn't possibly leave him while pregnant with his pup, thus "killing two birds with one stone", in her words. He would also have an heir, presuming his first pup was male. That was definite, of course. But he wouldn't mind a little girl either, since he already had Rin. Two Rins wouldn't make much difference, he supposed. Wait, he was getting ahead of himself. She wasn't pregnant. Full-stop, end of story.

"How can I help to alleviate the pain that you are going through?" he offered. No harm in trying to gain plus points on his side.

She stared at him, surprised. Did he just ask if there was any way for him to make her feel better? She thought of something immediately, but she didn't want to voice it out for fear of seeming overly eager. Another thought occurred to her just then. "Um Sesshomaru, give me a sec, I'll be right back! Where's my backpack?" Spotting it by the door, she didn't wait for an answer as she squirmed out of his arms, grabbed the bag and rushed into his adjoining bathroom. She didn't even attempt to cover her nude self. He couldn't understand why she was in such a hurry, but then again, females were impossible to fathom. Stretching, he placed both arms under his head for support as he waited for her to emerge once more.

Kagome dug through her seemingly bottomless bag that had stuck with her throughout the years. Finally, her fingers tightened around a soft, furry pouch, and she pulled it out. Unzipping it, she scrutinized the selection available and picked out one of the larger sized ones. "I'm so glad I restocked my overnight pads! I sure wouldn't want to leave a stain on his bed sheets," she sighed. Placing the pad on the counter and stuffing the furry pouch back into her huge bag, she proceeded to do what she had to.

The bathroom door opened with a click, and he turned his head to watch his _(hopefully)_ future mate climb into the bed, dressed in navy satin cloth. "What is this that you have donned?" he asked as he drew her back into his arms.

She smiled up at him and told him they were her comfiest pajamas. "Sleeping clothes," she explained. Despite not knowing whatever she was going on about, he nodded.

"Is there any way through which I am able to take away some of your men-stru-al pain?"

She giggled, and reached behind her to grab one of his large palms. She brought it forward and placed it lightly on her abdomen. "I've heard that rubbing the womb area gently works," she offered. He jumped at the opportunity and quickly started a slow rhythm. He daren't put too much pressure, in case his youkai strength hurt her in some way.

"You can afford to rub a little harder you know, I'm not fragile porcelain," she chided jokingly. He grunted and pulled her a little closer so he could smell her hair. He didn't like smelling her blood and knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to stop her bleeding. He understood that it was a natural occurrence, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"Do you feel better, Kagome?" he whispered into her ear. She moaned softly and nodded. "This feels good. The comfy, eating-chocolate-ice-cream kind of good, not the sexy kind of good."

She had managed to lose him yet again. "That's good," he replied, for lack of anything better to say. He wasn't exactly in the right position to come up with a more eloquent response, given that he had no idea what she was referring to. What was ice-cream anyway?

He was slowly rubbing her to sleep. The warmth of his palm against her stomach worked like a hot water bottle would, easing her cramps rather effectively. She could do with a handsome, breathing, living hot water bottle…

Sesshomaru watched her drift back into dreamland, and allowed a lazy smile to settle on his flawless face. Remembering something else he had read from Kagome's book secretly, he called for Jaken lowly, knowing his youkai hearing would pick it up. He quickly pulled the covers higher and nestled the little miko's head under his chin.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama! Is there anything your lowly servant can do for you? I would willingly travel to the ends of the earth, swim to the depths of the world's deepest oceans and jump from the mountains' highest cliff just to please you milord! Your wish is my absolute command!" The green imp scuttled into the room with his eyes looking down, not wanting to show any disrespect. Sesshomaru just looked on, unaffected whatsoever.

"Jaken. Minimise your meaningless words. Tell the cook to prepare a warm meal for the miko and to ensure that dark green, leafy vegetables as well as nuts are included. Be silent and leave." He turned away from his loyal servant and closed his eyes, settling back onto his luxurious pillow.

Jaken sputtered, wanting to question his lord's words, but Sesshomaru gave him no leeway to speak and he had no choice but to back out of the room, incredulous. Was he now reduced to merely being a messenger? An errand-toad? Sulking, he headed off towards the kitchen. As indignant as he was, he sure didn't want to run around headless.

A few minutes later, Sesshomaru joined Kagome in slumberland.

**\(^o^)/**

He sat up in bed and pulled her up. She groaned and fell into his arms, lying on his chest. Her backbone seemed to have disappeared. He sighed unnoticeably and gently shook her shoulders, but she didn't even grace him with a response.

Determined, he picked her up bridal style, got out of bed, and entered his huge bathroom. He sat her down on a smooth rock that served as a stool in the feudal era, and went to his private miniature hot spring. Wetting his hands, he proceeded back to Kagome, and dabbed his hands over her face, trying to help her wash up while she slept… sitting upright.

His actions definitely served to wake her up as her eyes opened, annoyed with whoever was patting her face. Her gaze met Sesshomaru's, and his hands paused in midair.

"Sessh, what are you doing?" she asked, curious. His name happened to be a bit too long for her groggy mind to process, so she cut it short.

He placed his hands either side of her face, and answered, "Merely trying to help you freshen up before lunch, since you seem more than a little unwilling to do so yourself."

"Lunch?" She was shocked. When she woke up previously to attend to her female needs, the sun had barely risen. She couldn't have slept for another five hours! Normally her cramps kept her from falling back asleep, and even if she managed to, she would wake within an hour because of the stubborn aches. However, thanks to Sesshomaru, she had done the previously impossible. "I think I can manage from here on, thank you so much Sessh," she gave him a grateful look. And realized he was still stark naked. "I… uh, don't you feel cold? I mean, you're, uh, unclothed, and um, naked, and all," she mumbled.

He smirked and tapped her nose. "This is a hot spring, koi. I am pleased to say that it serves its purpose." He disappeared behind a nearby folding screen decorated with Sakura blossoms. "I will be dressing here while you wash up."

She blushed when she saw that his silhouette was still visible through the screen. She had never once envisioned herself being able to snag such a good catch, but then again, the fates were always out to surprise people.

Sesshomaru held her hand as he led her towards his dining hall. His palace was so huge and beautifully adorned; she was distracted the entire way by the intricate paintings hung around the walls. Looking up, she gasped at the endless ceiling mural, stretching from one end of the hallway to the other and continuing into the various other hallways that branched off from the first.

"Your home is so gorgeous!" Kagome exclaimed. "Who painted all these?"

He glanced up, and looked at her while answering, "The ceiling was painted by a youkai who was a hermit. Hermits spend their lives alone in caves, never communicating with other youkai. My father was lucky enough to chance upon an injured one whom he saved, and thus this youkai dedicated this piece of art to my father as a form of repayment. The paintings on the walls were done by myself though," he added with something that resembled a hint of pride colouring his voice.

Kagome smiled and squeezed his hand. "They're really beautiful."

His heart fluttered, and he felt oddly happy when he heard her words. "Hn. We are here." He pushed open the vast mahogany doors, and led her inside. Looking at the food displayed on the dining table, he nodded in approval to his chef, who left immediately.

"Wow! There's so much vegetables in these dishes man, my bowel movements are going to be so smooth after this meal," Kagome joked, forgetting that Sesshomaru had no idea what 'bowel movements' meant. She doubted that he knew what 'shit' referred to either. "And nuts! I love nuts!"

"Your book said that dark green, leafy vegetables and nuts in your meals can help rid you of your pain. I do not know what mag-ne-sium or cal-cium is, but I presume that they are good for you," he replied. "Are painkillers healers? Why do they have such strange names? And I will bring you for a walk in the gardens later, as the book also said mild exercise would help. You may take a long bath in my private hot spring afterwards as well."

She stared at him in shock. Well firstly, she had never heard him speak for so long before, and to her especially! Secondly, everything he said was essentially him offering to put in a good amount of effort just to relieve her period cramps. She was so touched. Never before had anyone, much less a male, tried so hard to make her feel better. Suddenly, she felt really guilty about questioning his intentions towards her. It really seemed as though he wanted to please her for some reason. Could he really like her?

"Oh Sesshomaru, why are you doing all these for me? Nobody has treated me so nicely before," she sniffled slightly as she started to tear out of gratitude.

He hesitated, and she thought it really weird. He was always so sure in his every action. He was the epitome of confidence. Why was he faltering now? Did she read him wrongly? Oh no, did she say something wrong? Worse, did she scare him with her assumption? Oh man, she was so stupid.

How was he supposed to tell her that he actually finished the entire book she had brought for their lessons – secretly? He wanted to know what females liked so he could find out what she liked, and the only way he could think of was to read the book that belonged to her. He probably had no choice but to tell her the truth…

"I must apologise before I answer your question, but I finished reading your book. I only read it because I wanted to know how I could please you. You are not like the other female youkai that fall at my feet all the time, and you are an enigma to me. I," here he paused, thinking of what to say, before continuing, "I want to, date," he stumbled over the word, "you, and the book said that I would have to get you to trust me. It said that trustworthiness was the key to keeping a female interested. I would like to keep you interested."

Did Sesshomaru just _confess_ to her? No way! Her jaw dropped. "What?"

He was confused. Was the book wrong? He had no other choice but to revert back to what he was comfortable with. Apparently either the book was nonsense, or he didn't fully comprehend what the book said and had interpreted wrongly. "This Sesshomaru wishes to court you, miko. I ask for your permission as I have the full intention of making you my mate one day. If you please," he finished. He had realized that she wasn't just another simple female who would agree to his every whim.

His gaze was fixed upon her as he waited for a reply. Time seemed to pause, as though it was nervous on Sesshomaru's behalf. It seemed like an eternity before Kagome moved in slow motion, launching herself into his arms. It was fortunate that he was youkai, because his reflexes were quick enough to catch her as time caught up. It would be hugely embarrassing if he had let her fall to the ground. He doubted that she would have agreed if he let that happen.

"Sessh, you are the most romantic guy in the world!" she squealed. He tried not to wince at her high-pitched statement.

"Does this mean you agree?" he had to clarify.

"Yes! Date me! Court me! Whatever! I'm desperate!" she giggled.

He let a huge smile settle on his face. "Your wish is my command, my lady," he whispered before pulling her in for a long, loving kiss.

This contract was finally signed, and hopefully, sealed soon.

_**-The End-**_

**\(^o^)/**

Yes, the story is done! At 6 chapters, it is my very first completed story HAHA. I just realized how sad that sounds, considering how the fics I read are usually at least 20 chapters long. Sigh… I mustn't be too ambitious. At least I managed to complete it!

I AM SO HAPPY.

How did you guys like the epilogue? I thought it was short and sweet! Hopefully you guys think the same way too.

**Once again, please review!** Just because the story has ended doesn't mean your reviewing should end!

And here's to all my lovely and wonderful and gorgeous and handsome and just really awesome reviewers:

Chapter 1

**SessKagfan –** my very first reviewer! Thank you so much for your review! I hope the rest of the story was up to standard!

**LovesDepp –** I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**Midnightawakenonyou – **Thank you!

**Midnight Sun – **I'm really glad you enjoyed it so much, thanks!

**Kitsune Diva – **I hope you like the rest of the story!

**ashleyad91yahoo – **Mission accomplished ;)

**Sesshomaru2004 – **Thank you!

**Sugar0o –** Thank you for your great suggestion! Changes have been made already (: and thanks hehe!

Chapter 2

**Itachianime –** All the chapters have been posted –aru, please don't hunt me –aru!

**Sesshomaru2004 –** Thanks!

**LovesDepp –** I really appreciate it! Thank you, you totally made my day (:

Chapter 3

**Sesshomaru2004 –** I'm so happy to see you review each chapter so far! I hope the rest of the story's to your liking!

**LovesDepp –** And another loyal reviewer! Thank you so much! Hahaha weeeeell…

**Itachianime –** Thanks a lot! Yes, Sess x Kag forever!

**Katkah –** I'm glad you do ;)

**LadyBonBon –** Thank you! :D

Chapter 4

**LovesDepp –** I'm glad I managed to make you fall in love with it ;) Achievement!

**LadyBonBon –** It's finally up! Yay!

**Dogdemoness108 –** Thank you so much!

**JeniNeji –** I'm glad you like it~

**Katkah –** Check out the latest update! *winks*

**Sesshomaru2004 –** Hehe… thanks!

**Rayne Goldenhart –** Kagome got too carried away :x haha!

**Itachianime –** Long reviews make me happy! Check out chapter 5 – it's finally up!

Chapter 5

**Lianna –** Thanks a lot!

**Lakeya2700 –** I'm really glad you did (:

**Starr E. Knites –** Here it is! :D

**Loveinthebattlefield –** Thank you so much! Yes I heard… sigh. And thanks for your wish ;) Same to you!

**Impressed –** I'm really flattered! Here's the epilogue (:

**\(^o^)/**

And that sums up my review replies for the entire story. If your review comes in after the epilogue has been posted, I'll reply you directly! No worries, I'm changing this horrible habit of mine.

I really hope the story has been to all your liking, and for those who like it – I'm truly very glad.

Thank you so much for reading this entire short story of mine~ I'm in the midst of writing a new fic, but knowing me… I don't actually know how long I'll take to post it :x I'm contemplating finishing the entire story first before posting up any chapters, so that you guys wouldn't have to wait too long before each update! That totally ruins the moment, I know.

I'm really excited about the new story, so promise me you'll come back and read it once it's up! Even though it may take some time… do be patient and stick with me ;)

That's all! Love you guys, ta!


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